White Bean Dip

I love dips! I eat hummus like crazy and this white bean dip is a great alternative when I get tired of hummus. It's also super healthy and dairy-free so it makes a great healthy snack. I love how quick and easy it is to make, too!

White Bean Dip

INGREDIENTS

1/2 clove garlic
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup packed fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
heaping 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS

1 15-oz. can white beans (canellini or great northern), drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS

1. Place beans, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, oregano, and paprika in bowl of food processor. Pulse until chunky or puree until smooth. Season with freshly ground black pepper and more salt (if necessary), to taste.

Recipe from: A Hint of Honey

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN STIR-FRY

This is a recipe that Cade and I discovered when we first got married. We love it! We make and eat a lot of Asian-American food probably partially because I'm lactose intolerant and Asian food is sans-dairy and also we just love it.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 8 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained and juices reserved
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

3-4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs diced into 1 inch pieces
(you could also use pork tenderloin, or sliced boneless pork chops)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cups broccoli florets
1 medium bell pepper, stemmed , seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch squares*
hot cooked white or brown rice

Directions

1.    Start cooking your rice so it will be ready.

2.   Combine cornstarch and water in a medium sized bowl and stir to dissolve.  Add the reserved pineapple juice*, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar to the bowl and stir to combine.

*If you’re using a stainless steel pan, save pineapple juice for de-glazing it

3.   Heat 2-3 teaspoons of the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken, salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger.  Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked and no longer pink, 3-4 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and cover to keep warm.

4.   Add the remaining 1-2 teaspoons oil to the pan and add the broccoli and bell pepper.  Stir-fry over medium-high heat until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the broccoli is bright green, 3-5 minutes.

5.   Return the chicken to the pan and add the pineapple chunks and sauce mixture.  Bring to a simmer and cook until everything is heated through and the sauce has thickened, 1-2 minutes.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over the hot cooked rice.  If desired, top with sesame seeds and chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

Serves 4 (or more like 6 if you’ve got some kiddos in the mix)

Recipe from: Our Best Bites

GRANDMA'S WHOLE WHEAT ROLLS

Whole Wheat Rolls

Ingredients

4 cups milk, warmed (I mix up powdered milk)
½ cup warm water
2 Tbsp  dry yeast
½ cup  cooking oil (olive oil)
¾ cup  honey
2 Tbsp  salt (scant)
2          eggs
9 cups  whole wheat flour (I use about ½ hard red wheat and ½ white  wheat ground fresh)
3 Tbsp  lecithin granules

Directions

1. Grind about 7 C wheat on fine. (Or use whole wheat flour from the store.) Sprinkle yeast in warm water and let stand 10 min.

2. Combine milk, oil, honey, salt, eggs and 5 cups of wheat flour in mixer bowl and knead on low speed until well blended.  (Or mix by  hand) Add yeast and water mixture and blend again.  Add the rest  of the flour and lecithin and knead 10 minutes in machine.  (Or  knead by hand and get your exercise for the week.)

3. Put dough in large, greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen  towel and let rise until doubled in bulk.

4. Roll out dough ½ to 1 inch thick on floured board or counter.  Cut with round cutter for rolls. Put side by side on greased cookie sheet. Let rise until double in bulk.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Brush tops with a little olive oil if desired.

Recipe from: Grandma Louthan

GRANDMA'S MEATLOAF

My grandma calls this recipe "get a hug" meatloaf because apparently my uncles used to give her hugs when shes made this meatloaf. This recipe tends to be more on the sweet side as far as meatloaf goes. This recipe is great and you can never go wrong with sweet. Sometimes I also use another recipe to make savory meatloaf, depending on my mood. 

Get a Hug Meat Loaf

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs ground beef
1 cup     tomato juice (or ketchup)
¾ cup   oatmeal (uncooked)
1 egg (beaten)
¼ cup  chopped onion
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp    pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350
1. Combine all ingredients, mix well, use my clean hands to mix it.  
2. Press into an un-greased loaf pan.  
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.   

* I add mustard and make a ketchup brown sugar mixture for the top. 

GRANDMA'S HEALTHY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

This recipe is from my Grandma Louthan. She eats incredibly healthy and somehow still manages to make food taste good. I always love eating her cookies when I go to her house. It's some sort of nostalgia that reminds me of going to her house growing up.. because grandma's cookies are always the best, right?

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies     

Ingredients

2 cup  whole wheat flour
2 tsp  cinnamon
1 tsp  baking powder
1 tsp  baking soda
1 tsp  salt
1 cup granulated sugar 
1 cup  brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
2       eggs
¼ cup canola oil
2 tap vanilla
3 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup walnuts (optional)
12oz   chocolate chips

Directions  

Preheat oven to 350

1. Mix  first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.  
2. Beat next 6 ingredients in a large bowl with mixer beat on high speed 3 minutes or until lighter in color.  
3. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture, just until blended. 
4. Stir in remaining ingredients.  
5. Drop my mounds on greased baking sheet, flatten slightly.  
6. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.  
7. Cool on sheet on a wire rack 2 minutes before removing from sheet to cool completely.  

FLOUR TORTILLAS

Flour Tortillas

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

2 teaspoons salt 

3/4 cup shortening 

3/4 cup hot water

Directions:

1.   Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

2.   Either by hand or with a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening till the mixture is crumbly. If the mixture looks more floury than crumbly, be sure to add just one or two more tablespoons of shortening till it is crumbly. 

3.   Add about 3/4 cup hot water to the mixture, or just enough to make the ingredients look moist. 

4.   With your hand or a large fork, knead the mixture making sure to rub the dough against the sides of the large mixing bowl to gather any clinging dough. If the dough still sticks to the side of the bowl, add a couple more tablespoons of flour until the dough forms a soft round shape. 

5.   The dough is ready to roll out now, but it is best to let it rest. 

6.   Cover it with a dish towel, and let it sit for about an hour or so. 

7.   Take the dough, and pull it apart into 10 to 12 balls. Lightly flour your rolling area, and roll each ball with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thickness. 

8.   Place each tortilla on a medium hot cast iron skillet. 

9.   Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until the tortilla does not look doughy.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

I am not sure where I got this recipe. I have been using it for about 6 years, all through college. It's really good. It's amazing how you can make so many yummy things with zucchini and they all taste so different.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

3  cups all-purpose flour 
1  teaspoon salt 
1  teaspoon baking soda 
1  teaspoon baking powder 
3  teaspoons ground cinnamon 
3  eggs 
1  cup vegetable oil 
2 1/4 cups white sugar 
3  teaspoons vanilla extract 
2  cups grated zucchini 
1  cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. 
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). 
3. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. 
4. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. 
5. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. 
6. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. 
7. Pour batter into prepared pans. 
8. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. 
9. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes.
10. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.