Banana 'Nice Cream'

If you spend any amount of time on the internet looking for recipe ideas, you've probably come across more than one way to make this yummy taste treat using frozen bananas.  Push come to shove, I'd probably put this in my top 10 new favorite foods. For breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert, it's healthy enough to eat at any time of day.  And I do.

Here's the long and short of it. Buy a whole bunch of bananas and make sure they ripen before you cut them for freezing.  The more brown spots on your banana peels, the sweeter the fruit.  After you've done this, the hard part is over.  

Check out the recipe and variations below:

Banana ‘Nice Cream’

Serves: 2

Do Ahead Tip: 

3 ripe bananas, broken into chunks and frozen

Directions: Put frozen bananas in a blender or food processor and turn the machine on to blend them. At first they will want to spin around and stay icy, but keep at it, stopping the machine and using spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the sides and push toward the bottom. Then, walk away and do something else for 10-20 minutes – Email, vacuum, wash some dishes, do some yoga poses). At some point, your bananas will suddenly go creamy and custardy, like soft-serve ice cream. Serve immediately and enjoy.  Freeze any leftovers. I usually eat 1/2 for breakfast and leave the other half for a nighttime dessert.

**Variations and Optional additions: Add other frozen fruit and ingredients to custom tailor your nice cream. You might try the follow combinations:

Bananas + 1 cup frozen strawberries, raspberries or frozen cherries

Bananas + 1 cup frozen blueberries, blackberries or frozen mangoes

Bananas + 1 Tablespoon peanut butter or almond butter

Bananas + 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

Bananas + 1 cup frozen peaches + 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Bananas + 1 teaspoon maple extract + 1 Tablespoon maple syrup + 2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

Maple Walnut Nice Cream

**I recommend you try the simple One-Ingredient nice cream first.  Then throw a party for your taste buds by adding some of your personal favorites. 

Notes:  The beauty of this recipe is the flexibility and realizing how simple it is to make.  Remember.  The riper the bananas the sweeter the nice cream.

Tomato Soup with Black Beans and Spinach
Time to prepare: 30 minutes from start to finish
Prep Work: Very little
Serves 4
(Thank you, South Tulsa Living magazine for publishing this recipe in your March 2015 issue.)

Ingredients Needed:
1 15-ounce can black beans, no salt added, drained and rinsed
3 cups vegetable broth
1 14.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes, no salt added
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce, no salt added
1 cup salsa
1 tsp. cumin
2-3 tsp. chopped garlic
3-4 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves
½ cup nutritional yeast (you can use a bit of Parmesan cheese if you prefer)
Bragg Liquid Aminos (or reduced sodium soy sauce)

Directions:

Place drained beans, garlic and vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Add the canned chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa and cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup is heated through, another 5-10 minutes.

Serving up:

Place one cup of spinach leaves in the bottom of each soup bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast (or 1 tsp. of Parmesan cheese) and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of Bragg’s (or soy sauce). Ladle hot soup into bowl over spinach leaves and let sit for one minute, just until spinach is gently wilted. Eat up! YUMMERS!

Notes: This soup is very easy to put together. My husband commented that even 'he can make it' and does.  Jeff cooks up a double batch of this soup in the crock pot when he goes out to our Colorado cabin and eats it throughout the week.

I got the original recipe idea from The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook. The book’s recipe called for black-eyed peas and frozen spinach. I started with the original recipe and then tweaked it to suit my personal tastes. I prefer black beans and fresh spinach. You can use whichever you like best.  I've used navy beans and kidney beans, too. They all add a slightly different flavor to this heart healthy soup. If you use the frozen spinach, you’ll want to add it in when you’re simmering the soup until the spinach is heated through.

Corn is another nice addition to this soup. Just add a cup of frozen corn to the simmering soup until the corn is tender. You can add additional vegetables, if you like. Onions, celery and even some leftover baked potatoes work nicely with the other flavors.

This soup is even better after it’s been allowed to sit in the refrigerator for a day or two. I love to make enough to eat once right away and then have plenty for leftovers.

Faux Tuna Salad with Briny Tahini Mayo

                                         

How is it that I cook, photograph food and do dishes all day long and haven't managed a recent post on this food blog since May of last year?  Whaaat?  May?  Are you kidding me?  AND I just found a draft of a partially written entry about my infamously good BBQ sauce in the pergatory file.  On hold.  Until when, she asks?  Time to get a grip. Time to make a command decision.

Post or get out of the kitchen! And we know the latter ain't happening any time soon.  So, a bit of compromise is needed here.

Photos of food will start magically appearing more frequently on this blog. That shouldn't be too hard to do, considering my last post was in May!  Even without full recipes. That, my friend, is what keeps the posts from happening.  The time to write up a recipe, if it's a dish I have created, takes an entire morning.  I'm just that slow.  Many of the dishes I prepare are found in cookbooks, on the internet, or a combo of outside sources and my tweaking. If there is a link to go with the dish I've prepared then I'll add it here and not worry so much about originality.  It's food, not brain surgery!  And I'll give credit where credit is due.  Always.

Without further ado, here's a keeper.  The recipe is now handy in the pages of this food journal so I can make it again.  And again.  Thanks, Molly, for granting me permission to share. And for providing us foodie types who have healthy proclivities a safe place to review, rant, post and let our hair down. Here's to US!

Grab your official link to Faux Tuna Salad with Briny Tahini Mayo here and be prepared to have your taste buds titillated. Molly's clever prose fills the first part of the page.  Scroll to the very bottom of her link for the recipe. I love Molly's site and am a member of the closed group on FaceBook, too. It's a perfect fit for me. and the best ever support group for my WFPB (Whole Food Plant Based) lifestyle.  The people who stalk there are supportive, helpful and funny as all get out!

Without further ado!  Photos of the prep for Molly's Tuna fish salad.  

mash, mash, mash

chop, chop, chop

dice, dice, dice

dried dill, salt and pepper to taste

For the Briny Tahini Mayo, in a blender,
dulce flakes, garlic, tahini (ume plum vinegar not pictured here),
and a few other ingredients.  Follow Molly's recipe!

A stalk of celery never tasted so good.

 Served up with a side of Kale chips and orange bell pepper strips.

Yummers!

Easy Tomato Soup

Our weather has finally moved into fall's cooler temperatures.  Days are shorter and winter solstice is just around the corner.  Time to heat up the kitchen and whip up some delicious hot soup.  

I take major shortcuts with the recipe so that I can prepare this tasty nutritious meal in a hurry.  

There's lots of wiggle room to accommodate your personal tastes.  Here's how I make mine:

Soup Base:

1  15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes (low sodium, organic or no salt added, if possible)

1 11.5 oz. can V8 Juice Original, low sodium

1 small can of sliced mushrooms with juice

That's it for the soup!  See?  I did say it would be simple.

Empty contents of  these cans into a microwaveable dish, cover and heat thoroughly (heat in a saucepan on the stovepot, if you prefer).  Season to taste but the flavor of the fire roasted tomatoes comes through deliciously without any additional seasoning.  Try it without adding extras, see what you think.  Then adjust to your taste buds. I like mine soup chunky.  However, if you have an immersion stick blender, give it a whizz and make your soup base a puree.  And if you are in a REAL hurry, try eating the soup  sans any additions.  It's pretty darned good :-)

Now for the sauteed additions.  Go wild and stir fry your favorites.  My 'go-to' veggies are baby Portabella mushrooms-sliced in half or quarters, bell peppers--green looks nice in this dish, and onions sliced thin.  This is a good start.  Chopped celery compliments the flavors of this soup nicely...and water chestnuts, sliced and packed in water, also add a perfect crunch.  Zucchini?  Yum!  Throw it all in your non-stick pan, saute with a little veggie broth or water.....and let the flavors blend.  This is a good time to add your favorite spices.  Maybe some chopped garlic?  Cumin?  Celery seed?  Love them all.  And yes, I realize I have a double helping of mushrooms in this recipe.  I like mushrooms.  These FunGuys make me happy.

Zap your soup base for another minute in the microwave, so it is hot when you ladle it into bowls.  Spoon healthy portions of sauteed veggies into each portion of tomato soup and sprinkle with a bit of nutritional yeast flakes, ground flaxseed or a few sliced almonds and fresh ground pepper.

YUMMERS!

Fajita Night!

This recipe was inspired after a visit to a local eatery in downtown Tulsa.  The best part of this dining experience was spending some time with my daughter on an open air rooftop, sipping an iced water and looking out over the city.  The fajita salad I ordered was very tasty but shy on vegetables (really?) and I thought I could make it amazing in my own kitchen.  It's my new 'best dinner for guests' recipe.

There is a lot of wiggle room in the preparation of this salad.  Go with your staple favorites and I'll share with you the produce I use most often.  The salad is a bed of your favorite greens and topped with your favorite sauted veggies.  If you allow yourself some whole grains,  add a side of freshly seared corn tortillas and my infamous 'guacamole' made with a bit of avocado and alotta fresh green peas.  

Recipe in a nutshell:

Fresh salad layer:

Prepare your bed of salad and lots of it!  I used a variety of greens (artisan, Romaine, baby spinach) and toss in a full can of chopped tomatoes (no sodium added) with juice, sliced cucumber, shredded carrots, chopped zucchini and a handful of cherry tomatoes.  Sprinkle with your favorite balsamic vinegar and no-salt seasonings, toss, and keep chilled!

Sauted Veggies (water and steam method):

**If you are going to enjoy some corn tortillas, you can warm these in another pan while you are sauteing your veggies.

My favorites for the sauted topping are Baby Portobello mushrooms,  lots of sweet onion, red bell pepper (use whichever color I have the most of!) and a small amount of black beans (cooked up in my crock pot and kept in the freezer until needed).  I like to add a small can of mild green chilies, too.  Sprinkle with healthy amount of 'make-it-yourself taco seasoning,' a little water or veggie broth and let cook for several minutes, until onions are slightly clear.  Put a lid on it and turn to very low heat until ready to serve.

Sauteing my veggies

Homemade salsa (recipe not included here) or your favorite  'go to salsa' in a jar

Kim's infamous guacamole (recipe not included here)

Time to put it all together:

Get out your BIG plates and serve up a healthy amount of salad.  Fillerup!  Heap it High!

Now spoon on a good cup full of sauted veggies.

For toppings, add a few slices of avocado, a few sliced black olives, some nutritional yeast or sliced almonds.

Add a heated corn tortilla, several tablespoons of guacamole and salsa...and dinner is served!

Yummers!

Spinach Salad

Salad:

Baby Spinach leaves
1-1/2 c. sliced strawberries
1 pear (or apple), cored and sliced
1-2 T. dried *blueberries
1-2 T. chopped *almonds

Dressing:

1/4 - 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
4-5 fresh strawberries
juice from one squeezed lime or lemon

Add salad ingredients to your blender and mix for about 30 seconds.

Drizzle dressing over salad and serve up.

Makes one nice serving :-)  or two, if you feel you have to share.

Ohsoyummers!

*If you don't have the blueberries or almonds, use any small amount of dried fruit as an exchange, such as, raisins, currants, cranberries, chopped dried plums or apricots.
*I frequently switch out walnuts or pecans for the almonds.

Purple Cabbage Salad

Some of my best creations have come about when I was running out of food in the pantry and fridge.  Using what I had on hand, I threw together these few simple ingredients.  Now they are on my 'keep stocked' list.  It taste great freshly made and served up at once or keeps well in the fridge for a day or two if you don't mind a well-marinated flavor.

Here's all you need:

purple cabbage, cleaned and thinly sliced or chopped

cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half

1/2 ripe avocado, chopped

juice from one lime

balsamic vinegar

lemon pepper seasoning

1-2 T. sliced almonds (add to the individual salad servings instead of mixing in with the salad)

Toss together cabbage, cherry tomatoes and avocado.  Squeeze your fresh lime over the salad and toss well so that all your cabbage is coated with the lime juice.  Sprinkle entire salad with balsamic vinegar to taste.  I use approx. 1/4 to 1/2 cup for a head of cabbage.  Season with lemon pepper or other favorite salad spices and serve.  Sprinkle small amount of chopped or sliced nuts to your individual serving of salad.

Store your leftovers and eat with the next couple of days.  

Ohsoyummersandgoodforyou!

Do you like easy to follow Snapguide tutorials?  Find this same recipe HERE

Favorite winter fruit salad

I like my pineapple chunky, from the can, in its own juice. I use some juice in the salad and reserve some for my morning Emerald Elixir smoothie.  By all means, use fresh pineapple if you prefer!

Tangerine Cuties are abundant at this time of year.  I peel them, pull apart the sections, remove any seeds and cut each section into thirds.

I like my grapes purple and seedless and cut them in half.

I buy only unsweetened coconut, prefer my almonds unsalted and I use very few dried cranberries--just enough so I get one or two in every bite.  If I have an orange on hand, I zest it and squeeze some of the orange juice over the entire batch of mixed fruit.

Making extra of this salad is a good idea!  Keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator to have on hand for any time of the day or evening.  Perfect dessert or for that time you desire just a little something 'sweet.'

ENJOY!

Cauliflower Soup

This is a simple soup to make.  A bit of time and the following ingredients are all that is required to achieve this 'scrumptiousness in a bowl.'

Here's what you'll need:

Soup Base

2-4 cups cauliflower florets and thinly sliced stems, fresh or frozen.  I use an entire head of cauliflower or one 16-ounce bag of frozen.  Cook the cauliflower until fork tender.  Use whatever method you are most comfortable with.  I get good results in the microwave.

2-3 cups almond milk, unsweetened (use whatever milk floats your boat)

Pour your milk into a blender and add 1/2 of your cooked cauliflower.  Liquify until smooth.
**Rev. 10/30/14:  I've started using my immersion blender instead of my counter-top blender.  So much easier! Remove a cup of your steamed cauliflower from the pot and set aside.  Add your milk and blend with immersion blender. Add the cup of cauliflower to your blended soup base.

Add 1/2 tsp. white ground pepper.  This pepper has got a little kick so use less to start and taste before adding more. 

Your soup base is finished.  See?  Easy!

Now, gather together the following vegetables:

Mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, spouted lentils  I like my mushrooms Portobello and sliced thickly, my onions, sweet....my bell peppers in all the rainbow colors and my lentils sprouted to about 1 - 1/2 inch.

Clean, slice, dice and saute them in your favorite way.  I use a bit of non-stick spray to coat my pan...and Parkay Spray on my veggies, along with a few of Mrs. Dash's no-salt seasonings.   I do not use oil or butter (apologies to all my Paleo family and friends).  I encourage you to use what tastes best to you.  If you have never tried the water saute method, this is the perfect dish for a 'first time.'

I like my veggies al dente and sauteed long enough to incorporate all the natural flavors.   You can cook them for as little or as long as you like and then turn the heat way down and cover with a lid. 

In the microwave or on the stove top, bring your cauliflower soup to a soft simmer.   Ladle hot soup into serving bowl.  Then scoop up and add 1-2 cups of cooked veggies.  Enjoy!

**Notes from experience:  The first time I made this soup, I kept it very simple, adding only a few bits of diced red bell pepper and some lightly sauteed mushrooms.  The next few times I made it, I started using different vegetables and lots more of them.  As you can see in the photo, may ratio of sauteed veggies is much greater than the amount of soup base.  Broccoli is another great veggie to add to this mix but it will change the flavor of the dish because of its own distinct flavor.  I eat lots of broccoli so decided to keep this dish broccoli-free.  Zucchini squash is another wonderful addition to this saute mix and I've used shredded carrots, too.

Final note:  When I make enough to have leftovers, I refrigerate the soup and the veggies separately...and reheat them separately, as well.  The soup presents more lovely when the soup is ladled first...and veggies added to the soup.  I'm just sayin'. 

Hearty Black Bean Soup

This recipe was given to me by my friend, Laurie Jo. Absolutely Scrumptious! But because I never could leave well enough alone, I added a small amount of meat and topped it with some other fun stuff right before serving. Laurie Jo knows me and will say "Kimber can't help herself, it's in her chart!" Thanks for sharing, Firlgriend...it's really yummers good stuff...and I'll be making this at Mom's house on one of those chilly North Idaho winter days!

3 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups of water with 3 beef bouillon cubes (low sodium, if you've got them)
2-3 tsp. chopped garlic
2 medium onions, chopped (original recipe calls for purple onions, I use what I have on hand)
1/4 - 1/2 pound ground turkey sausage-cooked, drained, crumbled
1 can Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chilis or 1 1/2 cups medium heat salsa
1 can chopped tomatoes with the juice, no salt added
2 Tbls. ground cumin and 2 tsp. chili powder
2-3 T. lime juice
Fat free cottage cheese and medium heat salsa for topping

In large soup pot, spray with non-stick coating, over medium heat, toss in garlic and onions and cooked sausage. Stir for a couple of minutes and add rinsed black beans, Ro-tel chilis, canned tomatoes and juice, water and bouillon cubes, lime juice and seasonings. Stir well and bring to gentle boil. Continue to stir until everything is well blended and boullion cubes are completely dissolved (sometimes I dissolve the cubes in the 4 cups of water before adding to the soup). 

Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for approx. 25-40 minutes. Remove from heat and get ready to serve up.

Top each serving with a small amount of cottage cheese and salsa. Serve with a couple of warm corn or flour tortillas on the side.