Grilled Panzanella Salad With Bell Peppers, Summer Squash, and Tomatoes
February 4, 2008
From Bon Appetit, August 2005
Can’t find ciabatta? Use any good-quality crusty Italian or French bread.
Ingredients:
Salad:
- 1 1/2 pounds assorted bell peppers (about 3 large), cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips
- 1 1/2 pounds assorted summer squash, cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium-size red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
- 1 12- to 14-ounce loaf of ciabatta, some crust trimmed to expose bread, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, peeled, cut into thirds
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound tomatoes, cored, cut into 3/4-inch dice, juices reserved
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped assorted fresh herbs (such as chives, dill, chervil, and tarragon)
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
Directions:
- For salad: Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush both sides of bell peppers, squash, onion, and bread slices lightly with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until tender and brown, about 4 minutes per side for peppers and squash and 3 minutes per side for onion. Grill bread until browned and crisp, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Cool slightly. Rub bread with cut sides of garlic. Tear bread into 3/4-inch pieces; place in very large bowl. Cut grilled vegetables into 1-inch pieces; add to bread in bowl.
- For dressing: Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add dressing, tomatoes with juices, and all remaining ingredients to salad; toss. Let stand 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Makes 8 servings.
Powerful Woman Note:This is about 2 servings of veggies and 1-2 servings of grains (bread), try and find whole wheat bread. This is also 1-2 added fat servings (watch how much oil you add)
Green Chai Tea
February 4, 2008
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp green tea leaves, or 2 bags
- 1/2 stick cinnamon
- 4 cloves
- pinch each cardamom and turmeric
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1/4 cup soy milk or to taste
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and store in a jar or tin. Makes about 1 1/2 cups of dry green chai mix.
To brew:
Place one teaspoon of the chai mix in a metal tea ball or reuseable cloth tea bag. Or spoon one teaspoon per cup of hot water into a teapot. Steep several minutes and serve with milk (dairy or non-dairy) and sweetener.
Alternately, boil the mixture in a pot, simmering for 10 minutes or more, with extra slices of fresh ginger for an excellently pungent brew: use 1 cup of liquid (half water/half milk (dairy or non-dairy) is very nice) with 1 tsp chai mix for each cup of tea. Sweeten with honey or sugar if desired.
Green Tea Punch
February 4, 2008
From Healthy Living Magazine, June 1999
Recently, several clinical studies have shown that green tea may have important health benefits, thanks to high levels of cancer-fighting phytochemicals. This punch blends green tea with cranberry juice, honey and sparkling water.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 4 green tea bags
- 1/4 cup mild-flavoured honey
- 1/4 cup cranberry juice concentrate (freezer section by the orange juice)
- 2 cups chilled sparkling water
- Orange and lemon slices and mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, combine water heat to boiling. Add tea bags and remove from heat. Stir in honey and let steep 15 minutes.
- Pour through a strainer into serving picture and stir in cranberry-juice concentrate; discard tea bags.
- Just before serving, stir in sparkling water, then garnish, if desired, with orange and lemon slices and mint.
Makes 6 1/2 cups
Chai Tea
February 4, 2008
From rebar modernfood cookbook
With fresh ginger, cardamom and cinnamon
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of water
- 1 x 3″ cinnamon stick
- 6 cloves
- 10 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 3 tea bags, Assam or Orange Pekoe
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 cups milk, soy or rice
Directions:
Place water and spices in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Partly cover and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture, discard the solids and return the liquid to the pot. Add the tea bags and let them steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and stir in the honey and milk. Re-heat, adjust the honey and milk levels to taste, and serve.
Serves 4.
Best Brownies Ever!
February 4, 2008
Wheat-free, dairy-free, delicious!!!!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/3 cup canola oil (organic)
- 1/2 cup vanilla or plain soy milk or almond milk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup Tropical Source chips, carob chips or mini chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil an 8″ x 8″ baking pan, and set aside. In a food processor, blend the oats for 2 to 3 minutes until powder-fine, pulsing occasionally. Transfer the oat flour to a large bowl. Add the cocoa, baking powder, and salt, and whisk together.
- In the food processor, mix together brown sugar, applesauce and oil. Add the almond milk and vanilla extract, and pulse to blend. Add the we ingredients to the dry, using a rubber spatula to mix the ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chips. Pour the batter into the pan, and smooth the top.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until a tester in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting.
Makes 12
Blueberry Crisp
February 4, 2008
From Eat, Shrink and Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski
Ingredients:
Filling:
- 6 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp grated lemon zest
Topping:
- 1 cup quick cooking rolled oats (not instant)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup safflower oil
- 2 tbsp apple or orange juice
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Add blueberries. Sprinkle blueberries with granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix well and set aside.
- To make topping, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add oil and juice. Using a fork, stir until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over blueberries.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until blueberries are bubbling around edge of pan and crumb topping is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 8 servings, 256 calories each
Corn Bread
February 4, 2008
Adapted from rebar modernfood cookbook
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup unbleached flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup soymilk mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
- 2 tsp ground flax seed mixed with 6 tbsp water, let sit for 5 minutes
- 5 tbsp safflower oil
- 1 tsp baking soda
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
- Add the wet mix to the dry mix and fold them together until just blended. Pour the batter into a buttered 9″ x 9″ square baking pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Walnut Shortbread
February 4, 2008
Adapted from Body + Soul magazine, Dec 2005
Ingredients:
- 1 1⁄4 cups walnuts
- 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1⁄2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1⁄2 cup coconut butter, melted
- 2 tbsp light olive, or canola oil
- 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans; set aside. In a food processor, combine nuts, flours, sugar and salt; pulse until nuts are finely ground but not oily. Add the butter, oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice; pulse until the mixture just comes together.
- Divide the mixture between the two pans and press until even. With a sharp knife, cut each round of dough into 8 wedges. Lightly prick the tops with the tines of a fork. Bake until set and pale tan, about 22 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cut through each wedge. Cool 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 16 wedges—Per wedge: 178 calories, 3 g protein, 14 g fat, 13 g carbs.
Pumpkin Orange Muffins
February 4, 2008
adapted from Canadian Living magazine, Nov. 2002
Pumpkin and Orange are natural flavour partners. These muffins are equally delicious made with your own pumpkin or the canned variety. (Don’t use pumpkin pie mix)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat or all purpose flour
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 flax egg (mix 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds + 3 Tbsp water)
- 1 3/4 cup (425ml) pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp coarsely grated orange rind (use an organic orange)
- 1/2 cup orange juice (juice the orange that you use for the rind)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Directions:
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, raisins, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- In separate bowl, blend together flax egg, pumpkin puree, orange rind and juice, and oil. Pour over dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
- Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake in center of 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until tops are firm to touch. Let cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Transfer to rack and let cool.
Makes 12 muffins
Flax Banana Bread
February 4, 2008
Eat for breakfast with ghee (clarified butter) or use as a midday snack
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup organic spelt flour
- 2 flax ‘eggs’, (2 tbsp ground flax mixed with 6 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes)
- 3/4 cup milled flax seed
- 1/3 cup sesame or olive oil
- 3/4 cup raw sugar
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, ground flaxseed, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In separate bowl, beat eggs and oil. Add dry ingredients and mashed bananas alternately to egg/oil mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into an oiled 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.