Brussel Sprouts, Walnuts, and Figs

My grandparents were ranchers and brussel sprouts were a staple in our home.  We were always looking for new ways to dress up these little cabbages.  I came across an interesting recipe online from Ilili Restaurant in New York and decided to make a healthier version of it.

Ingredients:

1 pound brussel sprouts, stem trimmed and outer leaves removed if wilted or brown.
1/2-3/4 cup roasted walnut pieces
1 TBSP olive oil
1tsp fig basalmic vinagrette
3/4 cup seedless grapes cut in half
6-7 dried figs cut into pieces

3/4 cup water

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  I put oven setting on roast.  Make sure oven rack is in the middle row.

Wash and dry brussel sprouts then place in a bag with the olive oil and shake bag until olive oil is spread over all sprouts.  Place parchment paper in a roasting pan then place brussel sprouts on top of parchment paper.  Cook brussel sprouts for about 18 minutes, turning them twice during cooking time.  The outer leaves of the brussel sprouts will begin to blacken but the inside should remain tender and green.  Remove sprouts and mix with roasted walnuts and vinaigrette.  Add grapes.

To prepare fig puree:
In a pot on the stove top place water and figs and simmer until figs soften.  Remove from heat and put mixture in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Spoon fig mixture onto brussel sprouts and serve.

Artichoke Lentil Loaf

I am always looking for new and interesting recipes for burgers and loafs.   I adapted this recipe from the one on Dr. Fuhrman's website.  My family find a lot of my recipes bland; which basically means they are missing the salty taste that is prevalent in all foods in our american diet, so I try to spice up recipes I find online to make them more flavorful.  I feel very sad when they add salt to the foods I cook but I also understand it takes a while to adapt to recipes without salt.  As a result, the recipe has a little more zing in it than the original one.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup diced red onion

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups finely chopped mushrooms

1/4 cup diced celery

1-2 minced jalapeno peppers, seeded and cored

2 tablespoons minced parsley

2 tablespoons minced basil

2 teaspoons italian seasoning

2 TBSPs porcini mushroom powder (ground dried porcini mushrooms)

1 1/2 cups cooked french lentils

6 oz frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and mashed (I throw them in my cuisinart to shred them)

1/3 cup finely chopped raw pecans or walnuts

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup tomato paste (plus extra reserved for top of loaf)

1 TBSP dijon mustard

2 TBSPs adobo sauce or ketchup (optional) 

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or whole wheat flour)

2 tablespoons no-salt seasoning blend like Spike, adjusted to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a loaf pan with pam or lightly oil pan with olive oil. 

Cook lentils while prepping vegetables.  Add 2 tablespoons water to a sauté pan.  Add the onion, garlic, and jalepenos and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, a little more water if mixture is dry, cover, and cook until mushrooms are tender.  Add celery, parsley, basil, italian seasoning, and porcini mushroom powder and sauté for about 5 more minutes.  Add just enough water to keep mixture from sticking to the pan, if needed.  

Place cooked veggies, lentils, artichoke hearts, nuts, rolled oats, tomato paste, mustard, adobo sauce, arrowroot powder, seasoning, and pepper in a bowl and mix together.  I put everything in my cuisinart and use the pulse button to blend the mixture but am careful not to puree it.   I don't like my loaf to be too chunky but I don't want it mushy either.  After I pulse it a few times, I make sure mixture is well blended and then put it all into the prepared loaf pan.  Press mixure evenly into pan.  Smooth a layer of tomato paste over the top of the loaf and put it in the oven.  Cook for 1 hour.  Allow to cool enough to handle the pan and then cut and serve.

Healthy Carrot Cake

I love carrot cake. It is one of those cakes you can make sweet and moist and healthy at the same time.  I set out to make a recipe that healthy,  easy to make and delicious.

2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp's lumina (a sweetener found in health food stores) optional
1/4 cup maple syrup
 Stevia to taste

3/4 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup apple sauce
3 eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 cups shredded carrots
3/4 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup currants or raisins

Frosting
12 ounces light cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Stevia to taste
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Turn oven on to 325 degrees.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.   In a separate bowl, mix the pineapple, apple sauce, and eggs together. Add melted coconut oil and maple syrup and blend well.  Add carrots, shredded coconut, walnuts, and raisins to wet ingredients and blend.   Fold the wet and dry ingredients together.  Place cake mix in two greased 9 inch round pans.  Cook for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

For frosting: mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Place one cake layer on a plate and frost top and sides.  Place second layer on top and frost top and sides.