Wild African Peanut Soup

This is a lighter version of the Groundnut Stew that I posted a couple of years ago. Groundnuts and peanuts are the same thing. Who knew? This recipe adds a bit of fresh ginger for a little "zip". Give this to your kiddos and they will love it--so will you! My daughter originally got this off of the very excellent "Budgetbytes.com" site--I adjusted it only slightly. I also added the word "Wild" to the title because I like the word "Wild".... Yield: Feeds 4 big eaters or 5 Pygmies.

Ingredients:

1 T vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic
1 inch knob of fresh ginger
1-inch fresh ginger
1 medium sweet potato
1 medium onion
1 t cumin
1/8 t ground cayenne pepper
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1/2 C natural-style chunky peanut butter (the kind with oil on the top)
6 C vegetable or chicken broth
1 lb raw chicken meat (breasts or tenders are fine) chopped into large cubes
1/2 bunch rinsed collard greens (2-3 cups chopped)
1/4 bunch cilantro (optional garnish)

Directions:

Peel and mince ginger and garlic very fine. Sauté in vegetable oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until garlic is soft and fragrant but not brown. Dice onion and add to pot. Cut the sweet potato into 1/2" cubes and add to pot. Sauté until it takes on a darker appearance. Meanwhile add broth to a 3 qt. pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken and cover. Boil until chicken is no longer pink. In the other pot--season sweet potato mixture with cumin and cayenne. Add tomato paste and peanut butter and stir until mixed. Gradually add broth in which the chicken was cooked to the sweet potato/peanut butter mix--then add chicken. Mix thoroughly and bring to a boil. Add chopped collard greens and cook about 15 minutes until greens are limp and potatoes are soft. Squash the sweet potatoes a bit with a potato masher or fork in order to make the soup thicker. Ladle soup into large bowls and sprinkle with chopped cilantro (if desired).

"Throw 'Em In" Mexican Chicken Stew

Every cook in California probably has a Mexican soup or stew recipe--this is mine. What's different about this recipe is that there is so little chopping involved. I hate chopping. Even with a food processor... you have to clean the darn thing after you're done cooking (does anyone else think this way?)! So, this is a recipe where you just open cans and bags and boxes and "throw 'em  in". Hence the name...

This recipe makes a bunch--about 10 one-cup servings. I like it thick--like a stew. But if you want soup--just add a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce or beef broth 'till you have it how you want it. If you have a small family--eat some and freeze some for those "I just can't get off the couch" nights. It's very healthy--only 294 calories of vegetables and nearly fat-free protein. Serves 10 --Adapted from "Living Lean with Trader Joe's" cookbook by Jamie Davidson.

Notes: The tomatoes ARE canned--but if you want to chop up 8 small or 6 large fresh organic tomatoes and add them to the bubbling pot instead--go ahead! Just be sure to add a small can of tomato sauce as well (for moisture). If you are allergic to corn or it is too high in glycemic value for you--simply leave it out. Substitute a chopped yellow and a chopped red bell pepper--they're sweet and pretty.

Ingredients:

2 medium onions (chopped)
4 crushed and minced garlic cloves
1 T olive oil
6 C cooked chicken (cut in chunks--in a pinch you can use 2 rotisserie chickens)
1 pkg. Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning Mix (or equivalent)
4 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes (or use fresh--see above)
2 15-oz cans black beans or a bag of dried beans that have been soaked overnight and washed 3X
2 C frozen or fresh organic non-GMO corn (or see substitute above)
2 C chicken broth
2 shredded corn tortillas or 2 t cornstarch or arrowroot mixed in 1/4 C water
2 T fresh lime juice (optional)
1/4 C chopped cilantro (optional--but don't skip it unless you hate cilantro)
plain Greek yogurt (optional)

Directions:

Cook onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pot or slow-cooker until tender--about 3 minutes. Add chicken-taco seasoning-tomatoes-beans and corn. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer at least 15 minutes. Stir in two shredded corn tortillas or substitute to thicken. Keep stirring occasionally and add water as needed if it gets too thick. Serve garnished with lime juice and cilantro and/or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt... 

Egg Babies

I loooove breakfast! I always want eggs and bacon and hash-browns AND some kind of roll that's full of sugar. And a rich dark roast coffee with real cream. But who has time to make all that? Or the metabolism to eat it? Maybe a 16 yr. old track star but not me! So, I make these little protein-filled babies... and the coffee (naturally). Eat them warm and store what's left over for up to 3 days in the fridge. Just heat up a couple in the microwave and there you have it: a healthy breakfast! Quantity: 8 Egg Babies.

Ingredients:

Optional Fillings:
Green onions (chopped)
Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (drained on a paper towel and chopped) or T.J.s packaged brand
Cheddar cheese (grated)
Swiss Cheese (grated)
Jack Cheese (grated)
Asiago Cheese
Oh Heck Any Kind of Cheese You Like
Canned green chilis (mild)
Fresh cilantro (chopped)
Fresh spinach (chopped)
Bacon (chopped)
Sausage (any kind)
Hamburger (brown it first and drain--15% fat is best)
Firm Buffola Mozzarella (cut in 1/2" cubes)

Egg Mix:
6 eggs
2 T milk
1/2 t onion powder (if you only have onion salt--use it instead of regular salt)
salt/pepper to taste (using Lawry's seasoning salt is also good)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tin liberally or use lots of spray oil (olive oil is healthy). Cook your meat proteins and prepare all other fillings. Add a large pinch of two or more of any or all of the fillings listed above to your muffin tins. Here are some good combo's...

Buffola Mozzarella and green chilies and Jack cheese
Spinach and ham and cheddar
Bacon and Swiss
Sun-dried tomatoes and cheddar
Hamburger and spinach and cheddar (like a Joe's Special)

Always put the grated cheese on top because it looks pretty. Pour egg mixture over fillings up almost to the top of each muffin tin. Bake until puffy and light brown around the edges. Let cool for a few minutes before removing with a knife. Eat warm or let cool and store in a plastic bag. Can be reheated in a microwave (about 30 seconds).

Parmesan Delectibite Appetizers

My Grandmother, Gladys, use to make these. She was an amazing cook; she would have 100 people over for a cocktail party and make it look effortless. These have got to be one of the easiest-to-make appetizers on earth. Beware! Once you start eating them...you won't stop (cue the scary organ music).

Ingredients:

2 C flour
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder
1/4 t ground red pepper
1 C cream
3/4 C finely grated parmesan cheese
1/4 C butter
1/4 C olive oil

Ingredients:

Mix dry ingredients together in a food processor to distribute evenly. Add Parmesan and cream and pulse until blended (if you don't have a food processor you can use your hands). Gather up wet dough and make into a log. Refrigerate for 8 hours then cut into 1/4" thick slices. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add olive oil and combine over heat. Place slices in skillet and bake the whole thing in a 450 degree, preheated oven for 12 minutes. Serve warm.

Lentil Soup A La Jenn

There is so much to love about Lentil Soup. It is packed with good protein and fiber-filled fresh vegetables. The result is almost a miracle food!  Yes--there is a little fat, but you can skip the ham if you have high cholesterol. However, I would use the bacon if you don't have sherry. One or the other or BOTH adds that special flavor punch! WHAMO! Gottcha! FLAVOR. This was adapted quite a lot from a recipe from 'The Soup Kettle" restaurant recipe by Juanita Gomez. Yield: at LEAST 12 large bowlfulls.

Ingredients:

1/2 large onion--chopped
5 large carrots--sliced
3 slices REAL bacon (optional if you use sherry)
2 -4 C REAL ham--cut in 1" cubes or pieces (just buy one of those large, packaged ham slices)
2 garlic cloves--smashed and minced
2 large stalks celery--sliced
4 C lentils
4 quarts beef stock or 4 quarts water and 4 large beef bouillon cubes (6 gram size)
4 oz tomato paste
1/2-3/4 C good sherry (optional if you use bacon)
Sour cream or lemon wedges
Nutmeg

Directions: Rinse lentils and pick through them for dark ones while still in the colander. If you don't have a colander--use your head! Wait...that came out wrong. Unless you have holes in your head do not use your head. Use a large strainer.

Boil water in a 6-qt. soup pot and stir in bouillon cubes. Add lentils and boil for 30 minutes (some people soak their lentils overnight before boiling--this is good but not necessary). Meanwhile sauté first 6 ingredients in a large frying pan or a second pot. Add sauteed vegies to lentils and cook until lentils are soft. Add tomato paste and sherry. Cook for another 10 minutes. At this point I let the whole thing cool and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. But if you are hungry--you can serve it right away and put the excess in the fridge. Perhaps freeze some for another week? Absatutely!

To serve: Heat and salt and pepper to taste. Top with a blob of sour cream on top (swirl it to make it pretty) and a tiny bit of grated nutmeg. Alternatively--serve it with a slice of fresh lemon floating in the bowl. Note: Lentil soup does tend to get thicker with time--you can always add more water as you heat it up in the microwave or saucepan.

No Joke Dark Chocolate Cake (GF)

This cake is insanely good. I made it for a special occasion last year and it blew everyone away. And no one knew it was GF and SF. SF means that it uses alternative sugars--like maple syrup. My trainer Jennifer Hardwick gave the recipe to me...it's from "zenbellycatering.com". Yep, it's a lot of work--but it's worth it!

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 C almond flour
1/2 C arrowroot powder
1/4 C coconut flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 C cocoa powder
1 C maple syrup
1/4 C coconut oil (plus more for greasing pans)
4 eggs
2 t vanilla

Chocolate Whipped Cream:

3/4 C heavy cream (or equivalent in coconut cream from the top of an unshaken can of coconut milk
1/4 C chocolate chips
1 t vanilla

Ganache Glaze:

4 T butter or coconut oil
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/4 C chocolate chips
2-4 T honey (I use 4)

Directions for Cake:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease and line 2 small spring form pans (6" or 8")
Sift dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl. In a small bowl--whisk the eggs and add the melted coconut oil maple syrup and vanilla. Stir to combine and add to the dry ingredients. Beat until well combined by hand and pour into the prepared pans. Bake rfor 25-30 minutes--depending on the size of your pans. If using larger ones check after 20 minutes.

For Chocolate Whipped Cream:

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water. Beat your cream until it's stiff. If using coconut cream--it may not get as still but that's ok. Add the melted chocolate and give it another quick whip and scrape down the sides of the bowl so it's mixed well.

For Ganache Glaze:

Melt the bitter unsweetened chocolate and the chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water (use the same bowl you melted the chocolate in for the whipped cream?). Once it's melted...stir in the honey and turn off the heat. Here's where the patience and attentiveness come in: Remove the bowl from the heat and allow it to come to room temperature stirring every 5 minutes or so. You want the ganache to thicken but not get so hard that you have to spread it on the cake. You want to be able to pour it. It will probably take about 1/2 hour to get to the right consistency--a good time to do all of the dishes you just made dirty.

Pull it all together: I made a small 4-layer cake out of this recipe--but could have easily kept it simple and made it 2 layers instead. If you are going for 4 layers--cut each layer in half and arrange the bottom layer on a plate with parchment paper tucked in around the edged to keep the frosting from getting all over the plate. Plop 1/3 of the cream in the center and spread out to the edges. Repeat until you are out of layers.Stick cake in refrigerator for a while so it can harden a bit. Then spread ganache all over the cake--but if it isn't enough for the sides that's OK . Just drizzle some down the sides. Mangia!

Favorite Chocolate Brownies (GF)

Omigoodness! These brownies are my family's favorite--bar none. Including those that are not gluten-free! So chewy and good! This recipe was by David Lebovitz in his cookbook "Ready for Dessert". They are a bit of a science experiment, so be sure and follow the directions exactly.

Ingredients:

6 T butter. unsalted
8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate--chopped
3/4 C sugar
2 lg. eggs at room temperature
1 T unsweetened cocoa (natural or Dutch chocolate)
3T cornstarch
1/8 t salt (I would use 1/4 t))

Optional: 1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the inside of an 8-inch square pan with foil so that it goes up the sides to the rim. Lightly grease the foil with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Melt the butter and chocolate (and salt if using it). Stir constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar then the eggs (one at a time). Sift together the cocoa powder and cornstarch in a small bowl then stir them into the chocolate mixture. Beat the batter vigorously for at least one minute until the batter is no longer grainy and nearly smooth. It will pull away from the sides of the pan a bit. Add the nuts--if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the brownies feel just set in the center. Do not overbake. They should be fudge-y. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing. Brownies can be stored at room temperature for at least 4 days and can be frozen for up to a month. Common Sense Tip: If the finished brownies are crumbly...that means you didn't beat the batter long enough in step four. You can then use the crumbles to fold into vanilla ice cream for a fun dessert.