Through the Calm and Through the Storm: Recipes

Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

Monday, June 29, 2015

Spinach and Vegetable Soup

Lauren is my "something new" eater, and I'm constantly in search of new recipes for us to try. Last week we had a new soup that turned out quite well. I started with a recipe from Build a Menu and then tweaked it enough to call my own.

Spinach and Vegetable Soup

a splash of olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
4 small carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves
2 cups water
1 large carton (quart-sized) chicken broth
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
4 Roma tomatos, chopped
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 pkg (8 ounces) fresh spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Saute onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until they soften and the onion starts to turn golden. Add water, chicken broth, kidney beans, and tomatoes. When the liquid boils, add quinoa. Cover and cook on low for about 20 minutes. Stir in spinach and stir until it wilts slightly. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with crusty french bread or gluten-free toast.

Makes a big pot of soup, probably enough for six or eight people.

©2009-2015 Through the Calm and Through the Storm. All rights reserved. Photos and content may not be reproduced. http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

An Easy Green Salad for St. Patrick's Day

Last weekend, I asked a friend what I could bring to a get together at her house. When she sent back a text saying "fruit," Lauren and I headed to the Commissary to see what looked good.

We found an idea that was just perfect for the weekend before St. Patricks Day.

Ingredients:
1 honeydew melon
3 Granny Smith apples
1/2 lb green grapes
4 kiwi

Directions:
Cut the honeydew into small chunks, dice the apples, and halve the grapes. I cut the kiwi into thick slices and then quartered them. Mix in a bowl and serve.

For some reason (the acidity of the kiwi?), the apples didn't ever turn brown. The leftovers looked nearly as good tonight as they did when I made it Saturday.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Easy Crock Pot Fajitas

Monday nights can be a bit crazy around here. Lauren has chorus rehearsal on the other side of town from 5:00 until 6:00 so it's already late when we get home. The fastest to get dinner on the table this nights is to leave something in the crock pot so that we can serve ourselves as soon as we walk in the door. Brennan often helps out by fixing a side-dish or two to round out the meal.

One of our crock pot favorites is Beef Fajitas.

Easy Crock Pot Fajitas

1 beef roast (mine is usually about 2 - 2.5 lbs because I like leftovers)
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 cup salsa
2 (or more) cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
tortillas
toppings: sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheese, salsa

Cut the beef roast into quarters and place in the crock pot. Cover with sliced onion and peppers. In a separate bowl (or large measuring cup), mix salsa, garlic, and spices. Spoon this mixture over the vegetables. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4. (My crock pot tends to cook faster than I expect; other crock pots may take 8-10 hours on low.)

Using two forks, shred the beef. It should fall apart fairly easily. Serve the meat and vegetable mixture in tortillas with a choice of toppings.

Lauren cannot have either corn or flour tortillas so she usually has her fajitas served over rice. This week Brennan warmed up some refried beans to serve as a side dish.

This recipe post is part of this week's Review Crew Round-Up. Be sure to click the button below if you'd like to find more great slow cooker recipes. I'm hoping to find lots of new options for our crazy Monday nights.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Allergy-friendly Cranberry Orange Bread

A year or so ago I saw a recipe for Cranberry Orange bread on my friend Kate's blog (Under the Sky). I added it to my Pinterest boards but never got around to making it. When she posted a picture of it on Facebook a few days before Thanksgiving, I decided that I absolutely had to try some.

I had to change a few things so that it would be allergy-friendly enough for Lauren to have some. Thankfully, my changes all worked and it turned out to be a wonderful breakfast treat for our whole family.

Kate graciously gave me permission to share my allergy-friendly adaptation of her recipe. I'm sure the original recipe is also delicious if you don't have any food restrictions.

Cranberry Orange Bread (allergy-friendly)

2 cups gluten free flour (see notes, some flours may need 1 tsp xanthan gum added)

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup margarine (milk-free, soy-free, corn-free if necessary)

grated rind of half an orange

2 Tbsp applesauce

3/4 cup orange juice

1 1/2 cups chopped cranberries (approximately 6 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the first six ingredients and cut in margarine using a pastry blender or two knives. Add orange rind, applesauce, orange juice, and stir well. Add chopped cranberries. This makes enough batter for one full-sized loaf of bread or four mini-loaves of bread. We found that the mii loaves of bread turned out a bit better. (I always have better luck baking smaller items when working with gluten-free flours.) Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out very clean.

Note: I used Pillsbury Best Multi-Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend which already contains xanthan gum. If using another gluten-free flour blend, add 1 tsp of xanthan gum to the recipe.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Kinder Gluhwein {recipe}

Many years ago, our family lived in Germany and spent our December weekends looking for a Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) to explore.

December 1999, Addison was a year-and-a-half old

After spending hours wandering from booth to booth looking at Christmas ornaments, sweet goodies, and gifts, I always enjoyed a hot cup of gluhwein. Since I don't enjoy alcoholic beverages, mine was Kinder Gluhwein.

After we moved back to the States, I searched in vain for a recipe to make my own Kinder Gluhwein. Years passed and I had given up on recreating that German memory until a friend mentioned it on Facebook the other day.

It may not be the exact recipe used at the Weihnachtsmarkts we visited in Germany, but it's a wonderful hot treat for a cool December evening.

Kinder Gluhwein

Ingredients:
2 oranges
2 lemons
1 cup water
3 cups red grape juice
1 cinnamon stick
1 pinch ground cinnamon
4 cloves
4 Tablespoons honey

Directions:
Cut the oranges and lemons into thin slices, and then cut each slice into eighths.

Add all ingredients to a large pot. Heat for at least 15 minutes, but do not boil.

Pour mixture through a sieve to remove fruit and spices before serving.

K is for Kinder Gluhwein!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Pecan Tassies for the Holidays {recipe}

Tradition holds that Thanksgiving and Christmas meal planning isn't quite complete until you start deciding what type of pies to make. At my house, Holidays aren't complete with Pecan Tassies. Tassies are bite-sized pecan pies made in mini-muffin tins -- a perfect mix of flaky crust, chopped nuts, and chewy goodness. Over the past few years, I've perfected making them both milk-free and gluten-free.

Pecan Tassies

Crusts:

1/2 cup softened butter

6 ounces cream cheese (3/4 of a standard 8 ounce block, can use soy-based cream cheese)

1 Tbsp sugar

1 cup flour (can use any gluten-free flour blend)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar together. Gradually add the flour and cinnamon. Divide dough into 24 1-inch balls and chill for 2 hours. Press one ball of tassie dough into each compartment of the mini-muffin tray so that it makes a tiny pie-crust.

Pecan filling:

2 eggs

1/3 cup sugar

dash salt

2/3 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup butter or margarine (melted)

1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Beat eggs with sugar, salt, corn syrup, and melted butter.

Fill each tassie crust with chopped pecans, and then pour the filling mixture over the nuts to fill each compartment. (Be careful not to let the filling rise above the top of the crust.)

Bake at 350* for about 30 minutes (until the crusts turn golden brown).

Egg free version of the filling:

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup honey

Combine margarine, powdered sugar, and honey in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until margarine melts and everything is combined. Pour mixture over the nuts as described above.

Further allergy note: This recipe has also been used to make pumpkin pie tassies suitable for the nut allergic members of our family.

Even though the Schoolhouse Review Crew is taking a short break from product reviews, we're all still blogging. This week many of us are sharing favorite Christmas recipes -- both old and new. Be sure to click the cute Christmas Recipes button above to see what other yummy treat ideas you can find. (Note: the Round-Up post on the Crew blog will not be live until Wednesday morning.)

I'm also sharing my tassies with Lisa's New Recipe Tuesday at Home to 4 Kiddos.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Homemade Vanilla Extract

A few years ago I switched from using artificial vanilla flavoring to real vanilla extract in my baking. It makes a huge difference in how everything tastes, and I feel better about not filling our food with artificial stuff. Unfortunately, the teeny tiny bottles of real vanilla extract are quite pricey (even at the Commissary).

I figured there had to be a cheaper way, and I started making my own vanilla extract. It's incredibly easy.

Ingredients:
1 large bottle of vodka
3-4 vanilla beans

I try to buy a bottle of vodka that's somewhere in the middle of the price range I see at the store. It doesn't need to be expensive, but I'm a bit leery of buying the cheapest option. I've found vanilla beans at small health food stores, Amazon, and even ebay. They may seem a bit expensive, but the overall cost of the extract is a huge savings.

Put the vanilla beans in the bottle of vodka and let sit in a dark closet for a few months. When it starts to turn dark, it's ready to use.

I just leave the vanilla beans in the bottle as I use it. In the past, I've sometimes poured the extract into a prettier glass bottle that was a more convenient size for my spice cabinet. Lately I've been lazy and just pour straight out of the original bottle.

I'm adding this money-saving recipe to the Frugal Family 2013 link-up, and I'm also counting it as my V contribution to Blogging through the Alphabet.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Best Jigglers Ever {recipe}

When Lauren and I started planning "Mommy and Me" camp for this week, the very first thing on her list of things she wanted to do was to make jello.

After the boys left for their camp Sunday evening, we made our first batch of jigglers for this week. I've adapted a recipe that was handed down through my mother years ago, and we like this version better than the ones made with only jello. These seem a bit more firm, still jiggly but not as likely to fall apart.

Best Jello Jigglers Ever

2 3-ounce packages of jello (any flavor or combination of flavors)

3 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin

3 cups boiling water

Mix the flavored jello with the unflavored gelatin. Add boiling water and stir until fully dissolved. I set the timer for 3 minutes and told Lauren she had to stir the whole time.

Pour into a 9x13 inch pan and place in the refrigerator for a few hours. I think it took ours about 2 hours to get fully hardened.

Cut into the pieces using cookie cutters. Enjoy!

Friday, May 10, 2013

Sticky Roasted Chicken {Mother's Day Dinner Blog Hop}

This morning I'm sharing a favorite recipe as part of a special Mother's Day Dinner Blog Hop. Be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the post to find the other recipes my blogging friends are sharing today.

Sticky Roasted Chicken

2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole chicken (or bone-in chicken thighs)

Mix all of the spices together in a small bowl. I often double or triple the spice rub so that I can save the remainder for another time. A month or so ago I kept adding the correct proportions of the spices to a small jar so that I'd have a secret stash to last a while. It reminded me of a sand art project until I shook it all up.

Rub the seasoning mixture on to the chicken. If using chicken parts, be sure to rub both on top of and under the skin. If you have time, refrigerate the seasoned chicken overnight. If you don't have that much time, it's not a deal-breaker. I often just rub the spices on and put it straight into the hot oven.

For bone-in chicken thighs, bake at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes. For a whole chicken, I follow the USDA Food Safety recommendations to bake at 350 degrees for about an hour and a half. In either case, use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.

Thanks for stopping by on our Mother's Day Dinner Blog Hop. Be sure to visit each of the bloggers below for your next course.

Kathys Cluttered Mind - Table Center Piece
Home Sweet Life - Appetizer (Fresh Bread or Potato Fries)
Ben and Me - Seasoned Crackers (Appetizer)
For Him and My Family - Crock Pot Main Course Options
Through the Calm and Through the Storm - Sticky Roasted Chicken (Main Course)
Debbie's Homeschool Corner - Raspberry Cheesecake in a Jar (Dessert)
Treasuring Life's Blessings - Strawberries and Cream Angel Food Cake (Dessert)
Our Homeschool Studio - Strawberry Lemonade (Beverage)
Following Him Home - Beverage

©2009-2013 Through the Calm and Through the Storm. All rights reserved. Photos and content may not be reproduced. http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Death by Chocolate {recipe}

Years ago, when Addison was just a tiny baby, we attended a small church in Germany. The American congregation stayed after services the first Sunday of each month to have a potluck lunch. Every month, one family brought a huge bowl of Death by Chocolate. When they got orders to move back to the states, the recipe was handed down to me so that none of the future potlucks would be chocolate-deprived.

Over the years, I've made this dish for countless events. When I filled my biggest bowl with Death by Chocolate last winter, it made almost enough to feed Addison's youth group gathering of about 20-30 people.

Death by Chocolate (regular)

Ingredients:

1 large box brownie mix and ingredients to make it

2 large boxes Jello instant chocolate pudding plus milk needed to make them

1 large container Cool-Whip (or 2 small containers)

Directions:

Bake brownie mix according to package directions, let cool.

Crumble half the pan of brownies into the bottom of a huge bowl. Mix one package of chocolate pudding. Let set for about 5 minutes, until just starting to get firm. Spread pudding over the top of the crumbled brownies. Let cool in fridge until the pudding sets. Spread half of the cool-whip on top of the pudding. Repeat layers with the remaining brownies, the second package of pudding, and the remaining cool-whip.

If desired, you can add crushed Heath bars or Heath baking bits on top of each layer of Cool-Whip.

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Allergy-friendly Death by Chocolate

For Brownies:

1/3 cup cocoa

3/4 cup flour (if using gluten-free flour, add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup margarine or vegetable oil

1/2 cup chocolate chips, divided

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

To make brownies, preheat oven to 350*. Grease bottom of 8x8 pan. In a medium bowl combine cocoa, flour, xanthan gum (if needed), baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to make sure everything is well combined.

In a medium saucepan, melt margarine (or just add oil). Add brown sugar and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Stir until melted and then allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Stir applesauce into margarine-sugar-chocolate chip mixture until well combined. Add dry ingredients, stir well. Add remaining chocolate chips and stir. Do not overmix.

Bake at 350 for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.

* A special thank you to Kathy P who graciously allowed me to use her fabulous brownie recipe. She regularly shares allergy-friendly recipes at Kids with Food Allergies.

For Pudding:

3 Tbsp. cocoa

1/2 cup sugar

dash salt

2 cups milk (or milk alternative), divided

3 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp. margarine

1 tsp vanilla

Bring cocoa, sugar, salt, and 1 3/4 cups milk to a boil. Meanwhile, dissolve cornstarch in the remaining 1/4 cup milk. Add to boiling mixture and remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla, then chill.

For "Cool-Whip":

2 cans coconut milk (the cans of coconut milk, not the drinkable milk substitute)

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1-4 Tbsp tapioca starch

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

See recipe at Savvy Vegetarian. Note: the coconut milk needs to be refrigerated overnight before you begin.

Layer the brownies, pudding, and "Cool-Whip" according to the directions for the regular version of Death by Chocolate.

In the top picture, the "regular" Death by Chocolate is on the left and the allergy-friendly version is on the right. We all agreed that the allergy-friendly version was an acceptable substitute. The fake "Cool Whip" has a bit of a coconut flavor, but it blends well with the rich chocolate flavors of the rest of the dish.

Bloggers on the Schoolhouse Review Crew are sharing recipes this week. Visit the Crew blog any time after Tuesday morning February 26th to see the list of what everyone else is cooking. You can also find a fun recipe link-up each week at Home to 4 Kiddos.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Red Velvet Cupcakes for Valentine's Day

Red Velvet Cupcakes {allergy friendly}

Ingredients:
1-ounce bottle of red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 Tablespoon homemade)
1 Tablespoon vinegar
almost 1 cup of coconut milk (or other milk substitute)
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups gluten-free flour blend
1 teaspoon xathan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 350*.

Mix red food coloring, vanilla extract, and vinegar in a one-cup liquid measuring cup. Add milk substitute to equal 1 cup. Set aside while you are mixing the rest of the ingredients. This allows the milk to "sour" and replicate the buttermilk normally found in red velvet cake.

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Add milk mixture and oil to the dry ingredients. Stir until the batter is mostly smooth (only a few small lumps remaining).

Pour into a lined cupcake pan and bake for 20-24 minutes. Make sure the middles are completely done and that a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Makes 12-14 regular sized cupcakes.

"Cream Cheese" Frosting {allergy-friendly}

1/2 cup Earth Balance soy-free margarine
1/2 cup Spectrum shortening
1 pound powdered sugar (approximately 4 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 Tbsp homemade)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1-2 Tablespoons coconut milk (or other milk substitute)

Cream butter and shortening with mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and liquid ingredients. Mix well. Add coconut milk to adjust consistency.

Happy Valentine's Day!

My recipes were inspired by Kathy P's Wacky Cake on Kids with Food Allergies and the Allergy-Free "Cream Cheese" Icing recipe I found on Hives in the Kitchen.

All of my "allergy-friendly" recipes are free of the eight most common food allergens -- milk, egg, wheat, soy (including soy oil and soy lecithin), peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. I don't use gluten-containing flours to replace the wheat flour so they can all be considered gluten-free as well.

V is for Valentine's Day and red velvet cake. Since the cupcakes don't have any milk or eggs in them, they're also vegan. I'm liking this recipe with the "V" posts at Ben and Me's Blogging through the Alphabet and the recipes shared this week at Home to 4 Kiddos.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Cranberry-Ginger Pork Chops

When we moved to Arizona, we realized that we could grill nearly year round. Recently, I made a few substitutions to an old BBQ recipe and found a new favorite.

Cranberry Ginger Pork Chops

1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 - 1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh ginger root (chopped finely or grated)
Boneless pork chops or chicken

Mix all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside half of the mixture and use the rest to marinate the meat for at least 15 minutes or up to several hours. Grill until meat reaches a safe temperature using a meat thermometer (160-170 degrees for pork). If desired, the reserved sauce may be brushed on the meat while grilling.

Granola Fit for My Scouts

My son's Boy Scout troop has started preparing for a hiking trip to the Grand Canyon next fall, with my husband helping lead the way. They want to make sure all of the boys that want to make the trip are physically prepared so they are taking lots of training hikes. In addition, since my husband just loves to hike, he's also taken Addison and Brennan on several other outings.

In order to find affordable trail food that was both safe for my peanut-allergic son and acceptable to my picky-eaters, I've started making our own granola. After several experiments, we've settled on a basic recipe that seems just about perfect.

Granola Fit for My Scouts

3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup apple juice (or whatever juice is in the fridge)
2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 6 Tbsp water

Mix the first eight ingredients (oats through juice) in a large bowl. Mix flax seed and water in a small bowl and pour over other ingredients. Mix together well and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Remove from oven and use a spatula to break into appropriate sized chunks. Let cool and then store in a ziploc bag.

Note: the flax seed mixture holds the granola together in small clumps that are easier to grab while hiking. If you don't have flax seed, you can use two lightly beaten eggs instead.

This basic granola recipe makes the main part of the trail mix. We add in the extras after it is cooked. The most recent combination was granola, craisins, sunflower seeds, dried pineapple pieces, and chocolate chunks.

French Country Supper recipe

I briefly mentioned this recipe when I talked about quinoa, and I'm honoring the requests to share. Unfortunately, I failed to take a picture the last time I made it.

French Country Supper

Chicken thighs (bone-in)
2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp dried basil

Place all the ingredients in a crock-pot. It's okay if the chicken is straight from the freezer, mine usually is. Cook on high all afternoon or on low all day.

I posted earlier about how I often serve this dish with quinoa. We used to eat it with couscous until we eliminated wheat. I often eat the leftovers by themselves; it's sort of a stew consistency with chicken pieces and beans in the yummy juices.