Easy Egg Drop Soup

It’s getting a little warm here, but before it started to get warm I loved making soups. So easy and filling.

I love how easy this soup is and it goes great with a yummy spring roll.

Start by peeling then grating fresh ginger and chopping green onions and mushrooms. Sauté with vegetable oil for about 5 minutes until soft.

Add 8 cups of water,  soup base, and soy sauce. Allow the soup to come to a boil. Meanwhile, make a slurry of cornstarch and water. When the soup begins to boil, add the slurry to the soup.

Turn off the heat and beat eggs in a small bowl.

When the soup stops boiling, stir the soup and begin pouring the eggs into the soup.

Allow it continue cooking the eggs. After a minute or two add the spinach and allow it to wilt before serving.

Now enjoy!

Easy Egg Drop Soup (adapted from Budget Bytes)

1 Tbsp.vegetable oil

2 inches fresh ginger
4 oz.fresh button mushrooms (optional)
2 cups fresh baby spinach (optional)
1/2 bunch green onions
2 Tbsp chicken base – I used a vegetarian chicken style soup base and increased the amount a little. Add to your taste preferences.

8 cups water
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 large eggs

Start by peeling and grating ginger into a pot and chopping green onions and mushrooms. Sauté with vegetable oil for about 5 minutes until soft.

Add 8 cups of water, the soup base, and soy sauce. Allow the soup to come to a boil. Meanwhile, make a slurry of cornstarch and water. When the soup begins to boil, add to the soup.

Turn off the heat and beat eggs in a small bowl. When the soup stops boiling, stir the soup and begin pouring the eggs into the soup.

Allow it continue cooking the eggs. After a minute or two add the spinach and allow it to wilt before serving.

Southwest Ranch Taco Salad

I love taco salad. I love that it’s quick, easy, and healthy.

But I was feeling like I needed a little change and add a little pizazz to how I normally make it. I came across a pin a while ago and finally decided to make it.

It’s pretty much all the same great yummy veggies I normally use, just in a little bit different way. Original recipe found at Greens and Chocolate (I ommitted the chicken and used spinach instead)

Start with a bowl of washed spinach leaves.

Chop up some olives (love this slap chopper by the way- makes chopping olives a breeze!)

Then you’ll also need to chop some green pepper and tomato and grate some cheese. I also threw in a batch of crockpot black beans and some defrosted (frozen) corn.

The dressing is 1/2 Cup mayo, 2/3 Cup greek yogurt, 1Tbsp ranch seasoning, and 1 Tbsp taco seasoning. Yum!

Toss it all together with half the dressing and add more if you like.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Lentil ‘Sloppy Joes’

Confession: I’ve never cooked with lentils. Until now.

I was scared. I’ve had lentils in my pantry for months intending to make this and other recipes but have just been putting it off. Finally I bit the bullet and it turned out really great!

Start by cooking the lentils. Add 1 cup of dry green lentils to 4 cups of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 20 minutes. Once they’re done, drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done, sauté the onion and green pepper in oil. Saute for 7 minutes, add garlic and saute for one more minute.

Add the cooked lentils, chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Lastly, add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through. Turn off the heat and let the flavors meld for about 10 minutes. Then ENJOY!

Ben loved it! Andrew took some convincing (but what 3 year old doesn’t) but once he took a bite, he was convinced and finished off the whole thing!

Vegetarian Lentil Sloppy Joes

(recipe adapted from Post Punk Kitchen)

1 cup uncooked green lentils
4 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder (I only used about 1 tsp. since I was cooking for kids –still turned out great)
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
4 to 6  buns

Cook the lentils. Add 1 cup of dry green lentils to 4 cups of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 20 minutes. Once they’re done, drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done, sauté the onion and green pepper in oil. Saute for 7 minutes, add garlic and saute for one more minute. Add the cooked lentils, chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Lastly, add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through. Turn off the heat and let the flavors meld for about 10 minutes.

ENJOY!! nomnom

Crockpot Black Beans

In an effort to eat healthier, I try to avoid processed canned food items. Often times these foods have huge amounts of sodium and sugar.

Here is how I make my beans. Not only is it healthier, but it’s also a ton cheaper to make them this way!
They’re about half the cost of canned beans!

Rinse them for a minute to get them thoroughly clean and remove any debris.

Let soak in the crockpot (not on) with the lid on for about 6 hours. I usually just leave them overnight to make it easy.

Drain and remove the broken and cracked beans

Place the beans back in the crockpot and fill again with enough water to cover by 2-3 inches. Cook for about 8 hours on LOW until the beans are tender.

Drain and rinse

I didn’t take pictures of this, but then portion the beans into containers or freezer bags. I usually use freezer bags and just keep reusing them. I usually do about 1 1/3 cups of beans for one can equivalent.

So, ya, that’s it. It’s super easy, doesn’t take any skill besides remembering to turn the crockpot on. Which I guess can be hard sometimes, since I’ve forgotten it plenty of times. haha.


There you go – easy, cheap, and healthier beans so you can move away from the can.

Homemade Breadcrumbs

I ran out of breadcrumbs the other day and figured, no big deal I’ll make my own. Lucky me, I also stumbled across this loaf of bread at Fresh & Easy on clearance. $.87, not bad!!

So you wanna make your own too? So easy! Lay your bread out on a baking sheet and preheat your oven. I was already baking something at 375 so I just went with that

Let toast for about 10-12 minutes until crispy.

Let the bread cool then put it in your food processer. I have a super mini food processor so I had to break them up first, then pulse.

I got about 4 cups of breadcrumbs from this loaf. I put them in a freezer bag, labeled it, and put it in the freezer to keep them as fresh as possible.

That’s it. That’s all you have to do. So easy, cheap, and no extra junk!

Hope you're having a great week!!

Vegetable & Quinoa ‘Fried Rice’

Have you heard of quinoa? yeah? Ok, but have you TRIED it?

Quinoa is A-mazing! It's a grain, no it's a protein, no it's BOTH! Quinoa is a super grain and it is a complete source of protein. You see other plant proteins like beans need a carb to complete the 9 amino acids for the human body to process. BUT quinoa, this amazing little grain, has all 9 in itself. 

So if you would like to try a great quinoa recipe, here you go!

I came across it on Pinterest, of course, and I just love it!(originally from Here)

Quinoa Veggie "Fried Rice"(full recipe at the end of post)

Beat 2 eggs in a bowl then in a large skillet fry until cooked through. (not pictured) Place aside to let cool. Also cook your quinoa, most packages will have the directions on them.

Then over medium high heat add garlic and onion and cook until onion becomes transparent. 

Add mushrooms, broccoli and zucchini and cook about 3-4 minutes until tender. Be sure to stir constantly.

Add corn, peas, carrots and quinoa. Cook for another 2 minutes or so. 

Add ginger and soy sauce and mix thoroughly. Allow to cook a little longer until heated through. And lastly stir in the green onions and eggs. 

I doubled the recipe this particular time and...well...I kinda made a mess. :-D Oops.

So go try it. I think you'll like it! It's a great healthy recipe for starting your New Years resolutions and losing those holiday pounds!

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HERE

Quinoa Veggie “Fried Rice”:

Yields 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Sriracha, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Add eggs and fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side, flipping only once. Let cool before dicing into small pieces.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions become translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

Add mushrooms, broccoli and zucchini. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add corn, peas, carrots and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.

Add ginger and soy sauce, and gently toss to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Stir in green onions and eggs.

Butternut Squash and Quinoa Soup

I was in the mood for soup the other day and this was such an amazing recipe! I found it on Pinterest, of course. Butternut Squash and Quinoa Stew

Start by prepping the butternut squash. Cut it up and steam it for about 10 minutes. 

Remove half of the squash and set aside.

Keep steaming the other half for 4-5 minutes until very tender. Then remove the squash and mash with a fork. 

Heat onion over medium heat and cook about 8-10 minutes until brown. 

Add garlic and oregan and cook for an additional minute.

Add tomatoes, butternut squash, and mashed squash. Stir to combine. 

Add broth

and quinoa and cook until the quinoa is translucent. 

I also added zucchini to mine. Stir in pepper and simmer uncovered until the zucchini is tender. 

I really loved this stew because it had a little bit of a sweet taste to it, but not over powering. It was really good on a cold night! Enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Quinoa Stew (adapted from Cookin' Canuck)

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

3 1/2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes

2/3 cup uncooked quinoa

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.

Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.

In a saucepan on medium heat, heat the olive oil. 

Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add minced garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.

To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.

Stir in broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.

Stir the pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.

Black Bean Quesadillas

Don't you just love a quick and easy (and healthy) recipe? I do! This is a favorite among all my boys. 

I recently made a double batch of these black bean quesadillas and froze them for my husband's lunches at work. Also great for a quick lunch for the boys when I'm lazy!

Black Bean Quesadillas: (original recipe from Budget Bytes, I've tweaked it a bit)
-1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed (I cook my own beans in my slow cooker and freeze them- recipe HERE)
-1 cup frozen corn
- 1/4 cup diced red onion, sometimes I leave this out
-2 cups shredded cheese
-2 TBSP taco seasoning
-10 taco sized tortillas
-sour cream (optional) I like to add sour cream to make it all a bit more creamy


So basically I just mix it all together and put about 2 scoops into a tortilla, fold in half, and crisp it in a pan. If you're going to freeze them let them cool then freeze flat on a tray for an hour before putting them in a freezer bag together.

There you go, it's so simple and they freeze really well for quick and healthy lunches!

Baby Food Galore: Peas, Apples, Peaches, Apricots, & Cherries

I am so far behind on sharing baby food recipes so I'm just going to do a giant post to catch up. Hope you don't mind ;-)

Peas

Super easy. Steam frozen peas for several minutes, about 5-7, until tender. 

Puree in a blender or food processor. 

At this point it's pretty chunky. If your baby doesn't mind, you're done. For a first time feeding, I'd go ahead and push it though a sieve to make it more smooth.

I did a big bag of frozen peas, 32 oz I think, and got 16 1/4 jars! I don't remember the exact price of the bag, maybe $2.50, so that comes to about $0.16/jar!

Next up, Apples!

Peel and slice the apples and steam for 10-12 minutes until fork tender. 

Blend 

Add a little of the cooking liquid if needed to thin it out.

I got 10 jars from 3lbs of apples. Again, I don't have my receipt but I think the bag was about $3 so $0.30/jar!

Mmmm Peaches

This one was the hardest to make. I got THE best batch of peaches at the store so it was really hard not to eat them all before they hit the pan! haha

But the ones that made it through, I cut them in half and took out the seed.

Steamer basket for 3-5 minutes

Let them cool and the skins will come right off.

Puree and this stuff is sooooo good, save some for your baby! 

7 jars for about $2 is $0.29/jar.

Apricots

Another really yummy fruit. Take 1 cup of dried apricots and 1 cup of water. 

Place in a pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. 

Apricots should pierce easily with a fork. 

Puree apricots in a food processor until smooth, adding cooking liquid as needed. 

So the 1 cup made 5 jars. I think it was about $0.30/jar.

Cherries!

Yummy, I had a hard time not eating a bunch of these too.  Take 2 cups of cherries.

Pit the cherries. I didn't have a cherry pitter so I just cut them in half and pried out the pit. hehe

A little bit of a change on this one. Puree the cherries first. 

Then heat the cherries in a pan until hot for about 3-5 minutes. Let cool completely and serve or store. 

I don't have a pictures, but it made 4 large jars of cherries. About $0.40/jar.

Whew, well I think I'm caught up for now. There are a whole bunch of homemade and wholesome baby food. I love making Ben's food because I know exactly what went into it and it is just so darn CHEAP!! Love it!!