Spaghetti -licious

            My favorite two things in this world are eating and seeing my son eat healthy, nutritious food.  It should be of no surprise that my son absolutely refuses to eat steamed vegetables.  Unsurprisingly though, he much preferred my savory spaghetti  the other night.   
           My secret was unleashed when everyone at the table thought they were eating a delicious spaghetti cuisine.  This homemade sauce consisted of fresh spinach, carrots, bell peppers, onions, zucchini, and canned whole tomatoes pureed and poured over wholesome quinoa pasta shells.  After devouring this great meal, my son’s face was covered in my delectable red sauce.  I cleaned him up and smiled knowing he filled his belly with six nutritious vegetables, a hearty grain, and a complete protein.  My family is already begging me to make this mouthwatering supper again!  

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
a sprinkle or two sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
1 zucchini, shredded
few handfuls baby spinach

Instructions

Heat the oil in a saucepan with the onions and garlic. Sauté them until they begin to soften and caramelize. Pour in the tomatoes, toss in the salt and pepper, oregano, carrots, bell pepper and zucchini. Simmer for 20 minutes or so.
Stir in the spinach and continue simmering briefly as it wilts and heats through.
Purée the sauce with an immersion blender directly in the pot to minimize mess or with your food processor or blender. Reheat as needed, then cross your fingers and serve with your family’s favorite pasta.

  

Sweet Potato Pancakes- RETITLE

½ cup Amaranth flour

¾ cup Buckwheat pancake mix

½ cup sweet potato puree

2-3 eggs

¼ cup wheat germ

2 tsp coconut oil

2 tsp baking powder (add more if needed)

1 cup Water (add more if needed)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp Apple juice

½ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt 

Directions:

1. Night before mix flours, wheat germ, vanilla, cinnamon, apple cider

vinegar, and water. Allow to sit out covered overnight.

2. Next morning, combine the remaining ingredients.  

3. Coat nonstick pan with coconut oil. Cook over medium heat. DO

    NOT overcook the pancakes.

Zippy oatmeal bars

This delectable oatmeal snack laden with fibrous goodness contains a gooey blueberry filling. Hiding a surprising ingredient, pureed spinach, anyone can enjoy such a nutritious filler. The spinach is undetected and not overpowering at all. The bar is crumbly and chewy with a titillating hint of cinnamon.



Ingredients

    *     Nonstick cooking spray 

    * 2 cups old-fashioned oats

    * 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour Gluten-free flour

    * 1/2 cup sugar ¼ cup Agave syrup

    * 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

    * 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

    * 1/4 teaspoon salt

    * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    * 3/4 cup Balance trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread , chilled

                8 tbsp organic applesauce (plain, cinnamon, or combination)

                2 tbsp organic extra virgin coconut oil

                2 tbsp Ghee

    * 1 cup low-sugar blueberry preserves (find with no high fructose corn syrup)

    * 1/2 cup spinach puree

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat an 8" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray Ghee.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and vanilla and stir to mix well.

Add the margarine applesauce, Ghee, coconut oil, and agave syrup and cut it quickly into dry ingredients with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and is no longer powdery. Do not overmix—bits of margarine oil and Ghee will still be visible.

Set aside about half of the oat mixture; press the rest firmly into the pan. Bake until lightly browned at the edges (but not fully baked), 13 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the preserves with the spinach puree in a small bowl.

Spread blueberry mixture over the partially baked oat layer, then sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake until topping is slightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool completely before cutting into 12 bars.

From the book Deceptively DeliciousSM

Grilled Cheese RETITLE

• Ezekiel bread
• butter (use Ghee or Coconut oil instead)
• cheese
• pureed vegetable(s) (bell pepper, spinach, squash, sweet potato etc)

Directions:

1. Butter each loaf.
2. Spread the vegetable puree the inside of one loaf.
3. Place cheese ontop of the puree.
4. Grill the sandwich until the cheese is melted.
5. Cut into small bites


* may need to cut off crust if it is too hard.

Spinach and Oatmeal and Blueberries - Oh my!

The first thing that you will notice, should you decide to try this recipe out, is the fruity taste of the blueberries. It provides a pleasant counterpoint to the oats, which are drier and lumpier. The taste is not overwhelming and would make for a delicious snack or breakfast food. (Also, for you veggie-phobes out there, the spinach is not even noticeable).


Ingredients

    *     Nonstick cooking spray 

    * 2 cups old-fashioned oats

    * 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour Gluten-free flour

    * 1/2 cup sugar ¼ cup Agave syrup

    * 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

    * 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

    * 1/4 teaspoon salt

    * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    * 3/4 cup Balance trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread , chilled

                8 tbsp organic applesauce (plain, cinnamon, or combination)

                2 tbsp organic extra virgin coconut oil

                2 tbsp Ghee

    * 1 cup low-sugar blueberry preserves (find with no high fructose corn syrup)

    * 1/2 cup spinach puree

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat an 8" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray Ghee.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and vanilla and stir to mix well.

Add the margarine applesauce, Ghee, coconut oil, and agave syrup and cut it quickly into dry ingredients with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and is no longer powdery. Do not overmix—bits of margarine oil and Ghee will still be visible.

Set aside about half of the oat mixture; press the rest firmly into the pan. Bake until lightly browned at the edges (but not fully baked), 13 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the preserves with the spinach puree in a small bowl.

Spread blueberry mixture over the partially baked oat layer, then sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake until topping is slightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool completely before cutting into 12 bars.

From the book Deceptively DeliciousSM

Ezekiel muffins RETITLE

Lip-smacking good Sweet Potato Pancackes

Are you looking to spice up your ordinary breakfast food while still being healthy? Try this appetizing recipe for sweet potato pancakes. Not only are they lip-smacking good, but they give you a full serving of grains and vegetables. These pancakes are ladened with nutritious wheats that are perfect for the most picky eater. It has the fragrant scents of cinnamon, coconut and vanilla that combine perfectly with the mildly sweet sweet potato.

½ cup Amaranth flour

¾ cup Buckwheat pancake mix

½ cup sweet potato puree

2-3 eggs

¼ cup wheat germ

2 tsp coconut oil

2 tsp baking powder (add more if needed)

1 cup Water (add more if needed)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp Apple juice

½ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt 

Directions:

1. Night before mix flours, wheat germ, vanilla, cinnamon, apple cider

vinegar, and water. Allow to sit out covered overnight.

2. Next morning, combine the remaining ingredients.  

3. Coat nonstick pan with coconut oil. Cook over medium heat. DO

    NOT overcook the pancakes.