Strawberry Salad

This recipe from Penzey's is similar to this Spinach and Strawberry Salad but it is a nice change up with the melon and dressing. 

Spicy Glazed Pecans:
1/2 c sugar
2 T water
1 t salt
1/2 t cayenne pepper
2 1/2 c pecan halves

Salad:
1 lb baby spinach leaves
3 T olive oil
1 c sliced strawberries
1 c diced melon (cantaloupe)

Dressing:
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. chocolate syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with grease parchment paper (or foil).  Combine the sugar, water, salt and cayenne in a heavy saucepan (non-stick).  Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.  Boil, WITHOUT stirring, for 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat and add the pecans, stirring for 1 minutes until the pecans are coated with the syrup.  Transfer pecans to the cookie sheet, spreading and separating them as evenly as possible.  Work quickly.  Place in oven; bake until the pecans start to brown, approximately 10-12 minutes, depending on the oven. (WATCH CLOSELY.)  When browned, carefully slide the parchment off the pan onto a cooling rack.  Separate the pecans with a fork and shake around a bit so they are not stuck to each other or the parchment.  Cool completely.  They will store in an airtight container.

Toss the salad.  Mix the dressing. 

Serve.

Tortillas

I am still perfecting making homemade flour tortillas.  Here is where I saw the original recipe.

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 T. coconut oil
Start with 2/3 c. water.

Mix dry ingredients.  Add coconut oil mix until small 'peas' form.  Add water slowly until a soft dough forms.  I add more water if necessary.

Pinch dough into 12 balls and roll on a floured surface.  Heat on cast iron skillet.

After you cook them on both sides IMMEDIATELY put them in a dish towel.  Wrap them up together.  This keeps them warm and moist. 

Apple Pecan Pudding

6 peeled and cored apples, dried
2 cups milk (We use goat.)
2 cups pecans
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp cinnamon
5 dried dates
2 cups sun-dried apples
Soak dried apples in milk overnight.
Blend with remaining ingredients and place in small ceramic ovenware bowls.
Cook at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.
Cool in refrigerator before serving.

Another recipe complements of Sarah Albright.
The recipes says it will serve 3-6. I found it filled 7 bowls.
I placed the bowls on a cookie sheet to ease in getting them in and out of the oven.
A little Cool Whip would be wonderful on these. However, I haven't progressed that far in my cooking for Bear.
The next time I make these, I will chop the sun-dried apples and add them by stirring them in with a spoon. The food processor did wonderful up till I added the sun-dried apples and then it wasn't happy.

Green Beans and Sausage

1 qt, green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 carrot, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb sausage, either ground or link cut into 1 inch pieces
1. Combine all ingredients except sausage in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on high 3-4 hours. Add sausage and cook another 2 hours on low.
The recipe is from Sarah Albright.
This recipe should be served with bread or something as the sauce/juices are really flavorful and need help getting off your plate and into your mouth.
Also, I used more than a quart of green beans (fresh) and a large bell. And more thyme than just a 1/4 tsp.
 I used Andouille links from the smoke house at the local grocery store. YUM!
Additionally, this is SUPER easy. The hardest part of snapping the green beans.

Crockpot Beans & Rice

1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 cup brown rice
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp dried onion flakes

Put olive oil in crockpot.  Add rice and swirl in oil until coated.
Drain and rinse beans.  Add to crockpot.
Drain tomatoes, but save liquid in measuring cup.  Add tomatoes.
Add water to measuring cup with tomato liquid.  Add mixture of liquid with water to crockpot totalling 2 cups.
Add seasoning, stir well, and cover.
Cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.  It is done when the rice is tender.
*Can, also, cook rice on stove and microwave other ingredients.

Above is the recipe as it was shared with me by Sarah Albright.
However, the next time I make this, I am going to use Cajun seasoning in place of the Italian seasoning and add Andoulli sausage during the last 1/2 hour or so of cooking.  Going for a red beans and rice idea.
I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the brown rice cooked up.  I cooked it for four hours on high.  You don't want to over cook this because at the end of the 4 hours there was condensation on the lid but that was about it for water left in the crock.

Grain-Free Apple Flax Muffins

LINK

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flax seed meal

2 tsp baking soda

1 Tbs cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup Stevia

4 eggs

1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil (For MSPI, use coconut oil)

1/2 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 large apple, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Method:

Mix dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and add to dry mixture along with oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Add apple and nuts and stir to combine.

Allow fully incorporated mixture to stand 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line or grease muffin tins. Spoon into tins (the batter will be very thick) and bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 18-24 large muffins.  

We store them in the refrigerator, per the suggestion of the author of the blog we got the recipe from.

Hummus

 Spinach Salad
with Layered Greek Dip using hummus & Spiced Pita Chips.

Recipe adapted from HERE.

2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 c. garbanzo beans (I cook mine in the crockpot.)
2/3 c. water
4 T lemon juice
2 T tahini
1 t. salt

Mix in blender until creamy.