Whole Wheat Cornbread

I've made this a couple times now and I think it's a good recipe.  It doesn't have too much sugar or oil in it either which I like.  Here's the link to the original recipe.  I cut the recipe in half and used a 9x9 pan instead of a 9x13.

1 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 C. honey
1/8 C. oil
1 C. milk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt.  Add the honey, oil, milk, and egg.  Mix just enough to moisten the batter.  Pour into a greased 8- or 9-inch baking pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

White Turkey Chili

Still have some leftover turkey from Thanksgiving?  Here's a good way to use it up!

(So it's usually dark outside when I take these pictures so they don't turn out very good.  I don't claim to be a food artist. :0)

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and minced (for a spicier chili you could probably add some seeds)
1  (4 oz.) can green chilies (mild)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. water
1 can white beans (I used the white beans from the cannery - 2 cups cooked)
2 C. cooked turkey (1/2 inch cubes)
1/8 C. cilantro, chopped
1/2 C. cheese (I omitted this and didn't miss it)

Saute onions in oil about 5 minutes or until onions start to get soft and translucent.  Add garlic, jalapenos, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, pepper, and salt.  Cook one minute.  Stir in water, beans, and turkey.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir in cilantro.  To serve, ladle into bowls and top with cheese.  Serves 4.


When I made it, I didn't think it had enough water, so I added about 1/2 cup more. Then I was worried that I weakened the flavor so I added a little more cumin and salt to it.  It ended up being pretty spicy, so if you are not a spicy person then you might want to reduce the cayenne pepper amount.  I thought it tasted really good, though, and Calvin ate it once I convinced him to try it (he looked at it and thought he wouldn't like it).  I did omit the cilantro from Calvin's portion because he has an aversion to cilantro right now.  We served this with whole wheat cornbread.

Leah's Famous Chicken Korma (my version)

My sister--in-law, Leah, is a great cook and while the original recipe is amazing, this version is a little lighter and has more vegetables.  I'll include both the original recipe and then my changes in blue.  I hope I don't offend her by changing the recipe.

Boil 1 1/2 pounds (a couple) chicken breasts (boneless/skinless) in water flavored with curry powder and salt (I omit the salt). Do not boil to death. Just until barely done. Remove from water and cool. Then cut into big chunks and set aside.

1/3 C. oil (scant 1/4 C. oil)
3 C. chopped onions (2.5-3 onions)
2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
12 green cardamom pods
15 whole cloves
2 tsp. curry powder
4 bay leaves
2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp.+ cayenne pepper (the amount you use determines the heat of the Korma)
1 C. plain yogurt (You could probably sub. fat free plain yogurt)
2 tsp. salt (I usually do 1 tsp. and then add more to my own plate if I feel it needs it)
1/2 C. heavy cream (1/2 C. skim milk or half-and-half)
1 tsp. turmeric

1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into small pieces

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin

1 C. peas (I use frozen)

1. Heat oil and cook onions, cauliflower, carrots, garlic, and ginger until translucent and golden. 
2. Add cardamom pods, cloves, curry powder, bay leaves, and cook 5-10 minutes more.
3. Add coriander and cayenne pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add yogurt 1/4 cup at a time until mixture reduces (10-15 minutes)
5. Add chicken which has been cooked and cut.  Simmer until oil begins to separate on top.
6. Add cream (skim milk), turmeric, and peas.  Simmer until everything is heated through and the vegetables are cooked enough to your liking.

We usually serve this with brown rice, but Basmati rice would be more authentic.  Unless you like to live on the wild side, be sure to remove the cardamom pods, bay leaves, and cloves before eating them! :0)

Indian spices can get a little expensive, but the thing to realize is that they will last for many, many meals.  Where I live I found a little store that sells only Indian food called Madras Grocery and the spices are very reasonably priced (there are lots of these places in the Bay Area :0).  Also, you might try buying some of them in the bulk section of a place like Sprout's.

One more note:  After making this a few more times, I've realized that you need at least a little bit of fat.  So if you are concerned about fat content, I would choose either plain whole yogurt or half-and-half or something with a little bit of fat.  I have also know made this as a vegetarian curry with a whole head of cauliflower and more carrots omitting the chicken and it was really good!

Chicken, Avocado, and Mango Burritos

I kind of just made this recipe up combining other recipes that I have.

1 onion, diced
2-3 tsp. of minced garlic
about 1/2 pound of chicken (boneless, skinless breast) cut into small pieces
1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
Taco Seasoning Mix
1 avocado; peeled, pitted, and diced
1 mango; peeled, pitted, and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and dice
about 1/2 C. of minced cilantro
juice from 1 lime

Saute the onions on medium heat until they are just starting to get a little soft.  Add the garlic, chicken, bell pepper, and taco seasoning mix and cook until chicken is just barely done.  Combine mixture with all the other ingredients. 

I served these in corn tortillas, but flour works as well.  You could also add black beans, tomatoes. cheese, and/or corn to this.

Lentils with sausage

 We had this for dinner last night.  Calvin took a bite and said, "Mmm... Good soup!"  Well, it's not exactly soup, but it's a keeper if my two-year-old likes it!  We like to serve it with cornbread (or "popcorn bread" as Calvin calls it).

1 pound of lean sausage or italian-seasoned ground turkey, cut into pieces (some type of seasoned meat works best with this.  Even though the recipe calls for a pound, it is too much for me, so I do more like 1/2-3/4 of a pound)
1 onion, minced
salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained (I actually use the juice and replace some of the water with it)
3 C. water
1 C. green and brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
pepper
2 scallions, sliced thin

1.  Heat a little bit of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the cut up sausage in the skillet, and cook until browned.  Transfer the meat to a plate.

2.  Return the skillet with the fat to medium-high heat and add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, paprika, chili powder, and thyme.  Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.  Stir in the tomatoes, water, and lentils.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the lentils are almost tender but still a little crunchy (about 10 minutes).  Add the meat to the lentils and cook, covered, over low heat until the lentils are completely tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with scallions before serving.

Coconut Chicken Curry

Any person with experience in Indian food would probably laugh at this being called "Coconut Chicken Curry," but it's a very simplified version of it.  I like to think of it as a revised version of Hawaiian Haystacks from what I used to make.  Very simple to prepare in a crockpot.  I think carrots, peas, red bell pepper, or cauliflower would also be good in this.

2 medium potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each)
1 C. light coconut milk (I used regular because that's all we had)
4 tsp. curry powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 C. cooked brown rice
1/4 C. thinly sliced green onions
Raisins, flaked coconut, shredded cheese, peanuts or cashews (optional)

1.  Place potatoes and onion in a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker.  In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown chicken on both sides.  Transfer to slow cooker.

2.  In a small bowl, combine the coconut milk, curry, garlic, salt, and pepper; pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until chicken is tender.

3.  Serve chicken and sauce with rice; sprinkle with green onions.  Garnish with the other optional toppings if desired.

Healthful Pumpkin Cookies

I got this recipe from my friend Sarah.  I tried it today and we all loved them!  The dates (and chocolate chips of course) make it sweet and there isn't any butter or shortening in them!  I think nuts would be really good in them as well.

1/2 C. cooked pureed pumpkin (fresh or from a can)
1/4 C. applesauce
1 C. dates
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 C. rolled oats
1/2 C. chocolate chips or 1 C. raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a blender, mix the first set of ingredients (down to the salt) until mostly smooth.  Add water if it needs more liquid to blend properly.  Pour into a bowl and mix in the grains and chocolate chips or raisins.  Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and cook for 9-12 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies).