Meals and Dipping Sauces with Jessica

 My awesome friend- Jessica Henshaw said shes's eating more aligned to vegan or Ayruveda- when not eating with much meat- its helpful to feel  more satiated by having many different flavors/textures on your plate which helps your  taste buds experience alot and fills all your senses. 

6 tasting senses- sweet, salty, sour,bitter, astringent, pungent

I went and stayed with Jessica in St george for a weekend. We had a such a wonderful time- eating, talking, hiking, talking and eating more delicious food she made.

When I arrived she made a veggie, chicken, quinoa dish-
1*Roast veggies in oven 400 degrees with oil and salt and pepper-
squash
zucchini
onion
chickpeas
broccoli or brussel sprouts/cauliflower/carrots (definitely could saute mushrooms)

2*Cook and season Chicken seperately.

3* Cook rice or quinoa

4* Serve with a dipping sauce- choose from options below

5* I liked sprinkling green pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries on top

She cooks enough to have for delcious and yummy lunches during the week

Breakfast and Dessert

1* scrambled eggs, with sausage, a side of sauteed kale and side of quartered roasted brussel sprouts or any other cruciferous veggie

2* dessert-oat chocolate ice cream, I added almond butter, banana, choco chips, cranberries!!! SO DELICIOUS!!!

Dipping Sauces-

1- Pesto without Cheese (Vegan)

Clean Eating Kitchen
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups loosely-packed fresh basil leaves
1–2 tablespoons of water (optional, for thinning out the sauce to the desired texture)

In the base of a blender or food processor, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic clove, pine nuts, salt, and fresh basil leaves.
Process on high for 30-45 seconds or until the ingredients have blended together. The pesto should have a smooth and creamy consistency. Feel free to add up to several tablespoons of water if you want the sauce to be thinner.
Serve immediately, or store in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

2- Adobo Sauce                         

 Must Love Home Makes 2 cups

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• 1/2 cup chili powder

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• 1 cup boiling water

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• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices

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• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

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• 2 tbsp brown sugar

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• 2 tsp garlic powder

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• 1 tsp ground cumin

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• 1 tsp dried oregano

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• 1/2 tsp salt

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• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

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• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

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• pinch ground cloves

Add chili powder to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Bring water to a boil and pour over the chili powder. Stir and replace cover. Let steep while you gather the other ingredients.To the chili powder mixture, add tomatoes with juices, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, salt, cinnamon, black and cloves. Blend or pulse until smooth and the consistency of ketchup. Add water by the teaspoon and pulse if mixture is too thick.Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.. Carefully add adobo mixture. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 – 20 minutes until thickened. Allow to cool then transfer to an airtight container. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

3- Best Cilantro Lime DressingUrban Farmie

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper, adjust to taste
Instructions

Use a food processor or, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the chopped cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and minced garlic until well combined. Don't overblend if using a food processor or blender.
Season the dressing with salt and black pepper and adjust to taste.

4- Basil and Parsley

Sprouting Zen

a handful of fresh parsley including stems (28g)
5 to 6 fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves (11g)
2 tablespoons tahini (37g)
the juice of half a lemon (2 tablespoons = 25g)
1/2 cup of coconut milk from a can = 100g (I use Trader Joe’s brand which is guar-gum free)
1/4 teaspoon of himalayan salt
Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth and creamy.
Serve on top of your favorite summer bowls or entrees.

Naturally Sweetened Gluten-free Chocolate Cake

Simply Divine Eating

½ c. coconut oil, ghee, pasture-raised butter, or pasture-raised lard
18 medjool dates, pitted and soaked in hot water 15 min.
2 Tbl real maple syrup
2 eggs
½ c. cocoa
2 c. oat flour
1 c. sour milk (or add 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk or coconut milk)
2 tsp baking soda
1 c. warm water
2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375’.
Measure lard, butter, ghee or coconut oil into large bowl, set aside.
Drain dates and squeeze water from them. Combine dates, syrup and eggs in blender and blend till very smooth.
Add date mixture to lard or butter and mix well.
In separate bowl measure flour and cocoa and set aside.
Measure sour milk and set aside.
Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk to the date mixture. Add ¼ c.- ⅓ c. of the flour to dates and mix well, then add ¼ c. to ⅓ c. of milk to date mixture and mix well. Keep alternating until both milk and flour are incorporated.
Measure baking soda into 1 c. warm water and stir well. Add soda water to cake and beat to combine. Add vanilla to batter and beat.
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan and pour batter into pan. Bake at 375’ for 30 min or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. This makes a yummy dense cake that disappeared even without being frosted. 

Add Angie’s Chocolate Frosting recipe and wow them!

6 T coconut oil, butter, or ghee (I use coconut oil)
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup nut butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini
Pinch pink salt
2 t vanilla
½ cup winter squash puree (butternut, pumpkin, etc.)
Instructions:
On the stovetop on low heat, melt together the coconut oil, cocoa, honey, and nut butter.  Remove from heat and stir in the salt, vanilla, and squash puree. Or be lazy (scratch that…efficient) like me and just throw all the raw ingredients together in the food processor.  This recipe makes a fudgy frosting that will set up fairly solid, so I spread it immediately and then let it set.

Broiled Zucchini and Squash

Turn oven on to broil

Slice zucchini and squash 1/2-1 inch thick
Spread out on cookie sheet.
Pour olive oil over them and sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Broil for 10-15min.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich and Potato Salad

From- All Recipes

foccaia bread

cut squash and zucchini length wise, in long slices

cut onions in complete circles

cut red peppers in half and flatten

cube red and yellow potatoes

boil for 10 min, drain

then make a oil vinegar mixutre to pour over potatoes

wrap poatoes and oil mixture

Summer grilled hamburger

Adapted from Allrecipes

i love grilling in the summer.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1-2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
1 T minced garlic or 2 cloves

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• pepper
• 1 teaspoon mustard

Mix everything and pat into several patties. Between each patty put a piece of wax paper so they don't stick. Then put in refrigerator.

I like to top with tomatoes, pickles, mustard, ketchup, sauteed onions, lettuce and if I have avocado.  It can be hard to bite into b/c its so BIGGG!

I like to serve with Homemade fries, a salad, and grilled veggies (peppers, zucchini, squash, onions).

veggie packed minestrone soup

Originally from Our best bites

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small/medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1-2 stalks celery, diced
1 small zucchini
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup frozen french cut green beans
2 15-ounce cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 15-ounce cans white beans like Great Northern or Canalini
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
32 ounces vegetable broth (that’s 4 cups)
3 cups hot water
1/2 cup ditalini or other small shell pasta
4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach leaves
2-3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
Instructions:
Heat a large stock pot to medium high heat.  Add olive oil to coat bottom of pan.  Add onions, carrot, and celery.  Saute 4-5 minutes, until onions start to look translucent.  Add zucchini and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes longer, stirring until garlic is fragrant.  Add green beans, kidney and white beans, tomatoes, and seasonings and stir to combine.  Add broth and water and bring soup to a simmer.  Cover pot and simmer on low for 20-25 minutes, until carrots and celery are tender.  Add pasta and cook until pasta is soft, 8-10 minutes.  (Add additional vegetable broth or water if you feel you need it for preferred consistency.)  Remove pot from heat and stir in spinach and parsley.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

(amy's notes)
I started the soup in the morning and simmered with-
water, boullion, tomatoes, garlic, sauteed onion, beans, thyme, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper

Then 20 min before it was dinner time I added-
carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, pasta(used cous-cous instead), spinach

I actually followed the original recipe this time
-but I did add cauliflower, squash

Pumpkin Chocolate chip Muffins

Original recipe- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Mixed up the night before then cooked in the morning

Wet-
3 c pureed pumpkin, or squash, carrots
4 eggs
 2 T vanilla
1 C nut butter

Dry
1/4c brown sugar
1 c coconut sugar
1/2c xylitol
2-3t cinnamon
1t ginger
1 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 t baking pdr
3 scoops whey protein drink mix
2 c wheat flour
2 C oats
1/2c flax
3/4c corn meal
chocolate chips

I like to fill the muffin tins full to the top so the muffins are rounded and full when cooked.   Made 24 muffins, I like to make extra and freeze them.
350 for 17 mintues

6/8/15 instead of using the dry sugars (coconut, brown, xylitol) I used 1c honey and 1/4c  molasses.

4/19/17 I made these muffins from a dry pancake mix