Split Pea Soup with Ham & Veggies

Hi,

The weather has officially changed in Southern California and it has been cold!  I decided it was time to warm things up with a hearty bowl of warm soup! 

Split Pea Soup with Ham  & Veggies:

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Chopped Onion (Medium Size)
2 Diced Zucchinis
3 Cloves Garlic
Chicken Bouillon
Organic Ham Shank - No Nitrates
1 Pound Bag of Split Peas
1 Bag Spinach
****I added a cup of cooked red quinoa/brown rice at the end - Optional

Spices:

3 Bay Leaves
Black Pepper
Red Chili Flakes 


Sauté Onions, Zucchinis, Garlic in a large soup pot until fragrant.  Add chicken bouillon (1 Tablespoon), Ham shank & Peas.  Add water.  I used 10 cups of water.  You will need enough water to cover peas and ham shank.  You can always add water if you feel the soup is too thick while cooking.  It is important to not over add.  

Allow soup to come to a boil and then reduce heat.  Continue cooking until peas are soft.  Remove ham shank (you can add meat from the shank or not). Add spinach and allow to wilt.  Serve with warm bread! :) 

Enjoy!

Coconut Milk Ice Cream Almond - Vegan

Hello,

I scream, you scream, we all scream for all ICE CREAM! We love ice cream in our house but it was starting to become a thing of the past for us!  My husband is sensitive to sugar and too much can lead to migraines.  You can certainly buy coconut ice cream made with agave nectar and similar varieties at health food stores however, it will cost you an arm and a leg!  I decided to buy an ice cream maker and get busy creating this creamy delicious concoction in my kitchen…..
The ice cream maker I am using is by Cuisinart and I bought it on Amazon for about $50.00.  I love the simplicity, you freeze the bowl overnight, mix your ingredients and you have homemade ice cream in about an hour or less.  You can make any flavor you like.  The recipe below is for Almond Ice Cream.  I have made chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, pistachio, strawberry and vanilla.  The base remains the same, coconut milk, vanilla extract, salt, cornstarch & coconut sugar.  You swap out the mix-ins! 

Who doesn't love ICE CREAM? :)

Enjoy! 

Almond Ice Cream 

1 can of coconut milk - I recommend using full fat.  You can use the light version, the only difference is the consistency will be a bit icy vs. creamy. 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or use a vanilla bean - scraped
1/2 cup coconut sugar or white sugar 
1 teaspoon salt 
2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons almond butter

Mix all ingredients using a blender, pour into ice cream maker and finish freezing process in freezer!  The ice cream maker is important, it whips air into the ice cream giving the ice cream that creamy texture!  

Flavor Options:
Pistachio: almond extract & pistachio nuts - shelled
Chocolate: coco powder (un-sweetend) & chocolate chips (melted or whole)
Chocolate Peanut Butter: coco powder (un-sweetend) and peanut butter - if watching calories: PB2 is a great substitute for full fat PB. 
Strawberry: Fresh Strawberries chopped

I used MFP (My Fitness Pal) to obtain calorie content and the Almond Ice Cream is 209 calories per serving, based on 6 servings total.  This is about 1/2 cup per serving.  

Pumpkin Chili

Hello,

This chili is perfect for a cool Fall day and healthy too! 

Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Chili

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Sweet Onion Chopped

2 Bell Peppers Chopped

4 Cloves Garlic Diced

2 Sweet Potatos Peeled & Chopped into bite size pieces

1 Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon

1 Can Organic Pure Pumpkin

1 Can White Beans or Kidney Beans

1 Can Black Beans

1 Can Diced Tomatos (28 ounces)

1 Small Can Corn

1 Jalapeno Diced

Fresh Cilantro – for serving

Avocado – for serving  

Spices:

2 Tablespoons Chili Powder

1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

Dash of Cayenne to Taste

1 Teaspoon of Cumin

Salt & Pepper

In a large stock pot, sauté onions, garlic in olive oil until fragrant and browned, add chicken bouillon and allow to dissolve.  Next, add bell pepper, sweet potatoes, corn, pumpkin, crushed tomatoes, beans, jalapeno and spices with 1 cup water. Simmer of low for appx 45 minutes to an hour (until sweet potatoes are tender).  Stir in chopped cilantro and garnish with fresh avocado.

Pumpkins & More Pumpkins

Hello,

Fall is here & in full swing (well not really, we are still experiencing 80 degree days)!  We had a pumpkin decorating contest at work and I figured since I am not good at carving, I would try my skills with painting and decorating (thank you Pinterest for the idea).  I went to Michael's, bought all the supplies and spent the weekend creating this guy!  I did not win the contest because it ended up not being a contest after all….three ladies entered and we all showed up with pretty good ideas and agreed it was a tie!  What a fun way to get the festivities started!  

Versatile Almond Flour Muffins - Vegan

Hello,

These muffins were truly made up in my kitchen through trial and error.  I was looking for a healthy breakfast alternative that would provide some serious morning power and keep me satisfied until lunch. They are also great as a snack!

This recipe is very versatile because you can add whatever fruit/vegetable or nuts of your choice.  The picture below is zucchini/pecans.  My second favorite is banana/walnut. 

Enjoy! 

Very Versatile Almond Flour Muffins

1 lb bag of Almond Flour (Trader Joe’s)

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

½ Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt

Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 Cup Melted Earth Butter or you can use regular butter - Coconut butter works well too but you lose the butter baked taste!

1 Cup Coconut Sugar

1 Cup non-sweetened Almond Milk

Add – In Options:

2 Smashed Bananas

1 ½ Medium Shredded Zucchinis

½ cup Pecans/Walnuts

Chocolate Chips

Shredded Carrots or Apples  

1 Cup Fresh Blueberries

Preheat oven to 375

In a mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the following ingredients:

Almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, melted earth butter, coconut sugar and almond milk.  Mix until fully combined on medium speed.  

Next gently fold in your fruit, veggie or nuts of choice.  Spoon into muffin pan using cupcake liners.  Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes.  They are done when a knife is inserted in center and comes out clean.  Allow to cool and store in refrigerator.

Pizza Party!

Hello,

Pizza party's in our family is a tradition that is celebrated just like any other major Holiday!!!  We try to them once or twice a year and it is quite the event!  I became the official "dough" maker in 2007 and have been doing it ever since.  I have to admit, I was pretty nervous my first time, but I always had a fall back plan in mind (Trader Joe's).  I never had to resort to this option, it always turns out and it's actually fairly simple.  I usually make 25-30 doughs for the party however, this recipe can certainly be made for smaller events or for a simple Friday night pizza & wine gathering with friends! 

Pizza Dough Recipe:

1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup warm water
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil - plus more for brushing

In a measuring cup, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup warm water.

In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour, salt and olive oil.  Start mixing at a low speed to combine and add your above yeast mixture. Now add the remaining 3/4 cup of warm water and continue to mix at a low speed until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and mixes around the hook (about 5 minutes). 

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand for about 3 minutes.  The dough should be smooth and firm.  Cover with a clean, damp towel and let rise for about 30 minutes (the dough will double in size).  

Divide the dough into 4 balls, work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball.  Gently roll in a soft, smooth ball. Lightly brush with olive oil and place in a plastic bread bag.  

My family cooks the pizza in a wood fired oven as you can see from the video however, this dough can be cooked in a traditional oven as well.  Just be sure to use a pizza stone.  Place your stone on the middle rack and preheat your oven to 500 degrees. 

To prepare each pizza, place a bit of flour on a clean surface and lightly dust your dough.  Shake off excess and start to stretch the dough.  Press down in the center, spreading the doll with a rolling pin into a 8 inch circle.  

Using a lightly floured baker's peel, gently pick up the rolled dough and add to the peel.  Add topping of your choice and slide the pizza onto the baking stone until the pizza is browned and cooked to perfection! 

Transfer the pizza to a firm surface and cut into slices….service right away or if you wish to makes extra….go ahead and freeze.  You can reheat them in the toaster oven and come out freshly baked. 

You can substitute whole wheat flour for white flour if you wish.  I have done both and the only difference, the white flour tends be lighter and the whole wheat flour is a bit heavier and hearty! 

Enjoy!   

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

Hello,

Halloween is just around the corner and I am really excited to celebrate this year!  The house is decorated & I am in creativity mode!  Yesterday, I had the day off from work and decided I would make some fun treats for my adorable nieces and nephew!  These are simple and can be made for any special event or Holiday...Simply adjust the sprinkles and colored chocolate to match your theme! 

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Pretzel Rods
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Tablespoon of Canola Oil
Decorations of your choice (use your imagination here...I have used crushed cookies, nuts and candy but find smaller items such as sprinkles and colored chocolate tend to "stick" better)

In a non-stick pan (I used a frying pan for size), melt your chocolate with oil and allow to melt.  Do not overcook and allow the chocolate to become runny....it is better to have it a bit on the thicker side.  Roll the pretzel rod about a third of the way up in chocolate and allow to cool on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (add your sprinkles and toppings at this point while chocolate is not fully hard).  Once you fill the cookie sheet, place in the refrigerator until chocolate hardens.  Enjoy....