Category — Recipes

Vegetarian Chili

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 med zucchini, diced
• 1 celery rib, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 T chili powder (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 T granulated date sugar, agave nectar, or honey
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 2 (15 oz) cans beans (kidney, pinto, or black), low-sodium
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, low-sodium diced

Heat oil, add garlic, onion, zucchini, celery, carrot and peppers. Saute for approximately 5 minutes.  Add spices. Cover and cook over low heat until fragrant (approx 2 minutes). Stir in beans and tomatoes. Simmer 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer another 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

This makes a delicious chili that has become a family favorite.  Everyone we’ve “tested” it on, has really enjoyed it… including staunch meat-eaters!  Laura frequently serves it with a salad and her famous corn muffins.  It is also quite good as a topping for baked potatoes.  If you have a large family like ours or want to maximize efficiency, triple the recipe to fill a large crock pot.

Experiment with different varieties of beans and spices.  I personally love it hot and spicy with chipotle (smoked peppers), but it can be a bit too hot for the kids.  Be creative and enjoy!

Nutty Vegetable Stew

• 2 T vegetable oil (olive, sesame, sunflower, etc.)
• 2 large onions (finely chopped)
• 4 large cloves of garlic (minced)
• 4 large carrots (grated)
• 1 C broccoli (chopped)
• 3 (15 oz) cans of crushed tomatoes with liquid (low salt variety)
• 8 cups of water
• 2 T VegeBase
• 1/2 C sunflower seeds
• 1/2 C peanuts
• 2/3 C uncooked brown rice
• 1/3 C uncooked pearled barley
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp chile powder, optional
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder, optional

Process sunflower seeds and peanuts in food processor until you have a crunchy butter. Set aside. Heat oil in a large pan, add onions, and cook until lightly browned and tender. Stir in garlic when nearly done to avoid burning. Set aside. Boil water and stir in VegeBase. Add seed/nut butter, onions/garlic, and all remaining ingredients to pot and simmer on a low heat for at least 1 hour.

This is the longest and most complicated recipe I’ve posted to date, but it is worth it! This nutty vegetable stew is absolutely delicious, and very satisfying on a cool autumn night. I guarantee everyone will love it!

I would recommend going lightly on the chile and chipotle if you are going to serve to children. For variety, try substituting spinach for the broccoli, or using walnuts and flax seed instead of the peanuts and sunflower seeds. Let me know what you come up with. Be creative and enjoy!

Chocolate Power Bars

• 2 C whole rolled oats
• 1 C almonds, raw
• 1/4 C flax seed
• 1 1/2 C nut butter (my favorite is walnut)
• 1 1/2 C dried dates (my favorite is the Medjool variety)
• 1/2 C carob powder or cocoa powder
• 1/4 C honey, raw
• 1/4 C blackstrap molasses

Process oats, nuts, seeds, and dates in a food processor until chopped fine. Then place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Press into a glass baking dish, cover, and place in refrigerator. Allow time to chill and then cut into squares.

This recipe makes a delicious and nutritious snack that both kids and adults will love. We bring them along on picnics, when camping, or while hiking. They are very tasty… but be careful, they pack a lot of calories. These power bars are a good natural alternative to the “health” bars typically sold - that are usually loaded with chemicals such as artificial sweeteners.

Experiment with different kinds and combinations of nuts and dried fruit. Let me know what you come up with. Be creative and enjoy!

Veggie Juice (Simple Gazpacho)

• 1 C water, spring or filtered
• 1 large tomato, quartered
• 1/2 C baby spinach or frozen chopped spinach, organic
• 1 medium cucumber, skinned and chunked
• 1 T lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 raw garlic clove
• salt to taste
• hot pepper to taste
• 4-6 ice cubes

Put all ingredients in order into Vitamix or blender. Blend on high until smooth. This makes a delicious, healthy and refreshing way to get a couple servings of veggies.

This makes a simple and delicious drink similar to Gazpacho. Just add onions and bell pepper (organic) and you have a classic Gazpacho. You can experiment with different kinds and combinations of veggies and spices. Try celery, parsley or vinegar. For variety, you can eliminate the water and ice and use a food processor to dice the ingredients and make a delicious cold salad or salsa. Be creative and enjoy!

Mediterranean Beans

• 2 cans low sodium garbanzo beans
• 1 T cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 1 T wine vinegar (try red or white)
• 1/2 onion (finely chopped)
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• seasoning to taste (try oregano, basil, thyme, and black pepper)

Rinse beans. Put all ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

For Southwest Beans make these substitutions: black and pinto beans, coconut oil, and season with cilantro and hot spices (chili, cayenne, or jalepeno).

For Far East Beans make these substitutions: soy beans, sesame oil, and season with garlic, ginger, black pepper and Bragg Liquid Aminos (lower sodium soy sauce).

Our family loves these recipes because they are simple to prepare, are healthy, and taste great. We typically serve them as a side dish or as a salad topper. You can use the base recipe as a starting point and experiment with different beans, oils and seasonings. Be creative and enjoy!

Superior health depends on our environment too. We may not have that much control over the global environment, but what about locally? Have you done anything to help the environment of your township? What about your neighborhood? What about your home?

Have you ever thought about poisons found in your own home? Some very toxic ingredients are found in everyday products. Things like sprays, fingernail solutions, hair care products, mouthwash, perfumes, cosmetics, powders, medicines, polishes, drain cleaners, insecticides, antifreeze, and other household and garage products can be very dangerous.

One change our family made was to commit to using natural cleaning supplies in our home. We did this for several reasons:

1. We wanted to help reduce the risk of our own children accidentally becoming poisoned
2. To allow our children to participate in household cleaning chores without fear of poisoning
3. To reduce introducing more toxins to our environment
4. To keep our home clean, fresh, natural and non-toxic

We use natural dish cleaning products by a company called Seventh Generation. We purchase these at Wholefoods. But for everyday cleaning, we primarily use two different homemade products…

Natural All-Purpose Spray Cleaner

• 50% water
• 50% distilled white vinegar
• 15-20 drops of 100% pure essential oil

Just put in a spray bottle and use. The essential oils we usually use are lemon or peppermint.

Natural Scrub

• 1 2/3 C baking soda
• 1/2 C natural liquid soap
• 1/2 C water
• 15-20 drops of 100% pure essential oil
• 2 T distilled white vinegar

Mix in a large bowl. Add the vinegar last and then stir to eliminate the lumps. This is similar to “Soft-Scrub”, and can be used for tile, tubs, toilets and sinks. We re-use empty shampoo bottles and use a funnel to fill them up with this natural scrub. Our kids actually love to scrub away when we use peppermint oil because they think it’s like using toothpaste!

I hope you really give it a go and make these natural cleaning product recipes. I think you’ll really enjoy them. They’re simple to make, work well, and they can help keep your environment clean, fresh, natural and non-toxic.

Healthy Sports Drink

• 3 C spring water or filtered water
• 1 C orange Juice
• Juice from 1 lemon or lime
• 1/8 tsp Himalayan salt or sea salt
• 1 T organic apple cider vinegar (optional)
• 1 tsp agave nectar or raw organic honey (optional)

1. Mix well and chill

This drink provides a great way to beat the heat and stay hydrated especially while exercising. I’ve been using this recipe for years. It’s simple and tastes great. One 8 oz serving has around 40 calories and 75 mg of sodium, as well as a variety of other nutrients.

This drink provides a well-balanced and all-natural alternative to the typical sports drink. By using this recipe you can avoid refined sugars and artificial colors found in most marketed sports drinks. The optional apple cider vinegar and agave nectar or honey give additional health benefits and adds a nice sweet and tangy flavor. Try different kinds and combinations of juice. I like grape and apple juices mixed. For a fresh twist, try mango and passion juices.

Be creative and enjoy!

Chocolate “Mousse” Dessert

• 1 C soy milk beverage
• 1 C pitted dates
• 2 T cocoa powder
• 2 T carob powder
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1/2 C raw, unsalted cashews or macadamia nuts

1. Mix all ingredients in Vitamix or other food processor and blend until creamy.
2. If your blender has difficulty with the nuts or dates, soak them in water or soy milk for several hours prior to processing.
3. Chill for at least an hour prior to serving.

This is an absolutely delicious dessert that will have people begging for more and kids fighting over who can lick out the bowl. People won’t believe this desser has all wholesome ingredients, with no processed sugar and no dairy.

It is good solo or topped with fresh fruit. Try peanuts, almonds or walnuts for a different twist. If you want a vanilla “mousse”, simply eliminate the cocoa and carob, double the vanilla extract, and use vanilla soy milk.

Be creative and enjoy!

Creamy Apricot Cashew Salad Dressing

• 1 C Water
• 1/4 C Vinegar, apple cider or white wine
• 1/2 C Cashews, raw unsalted
• 3/4 C Apricots, dried
• Salt to taste

1. Mix all ingredients in Vitamix or other food processor and blend until creamy.
2. If your blender has difficulty with the cashews or the apricots, soak them in water for several hours prior to processing.

This makes a creamy dressing that is sweet, tangy and delicious. Our family loves it mixed into a green leafy salad and tossed with sunflower seeds. Do you want to see your kids go back for seconds on salad? Give it a try! Also good on steamed veggies of all sorts.

Be creative and enjoy!

Cheesy Garlic Sauce

• 1 C Water
• 1/2 C Raw, Unsalted Cashews or Macadamia Nuts
• 1-2 Raw Garlic Cloves
• 1/4 C Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Put all ingredients in Vitamix (or equivalent blender)
2. Blend until creamy

This is a delicious and versatile sauce. Our kids love our veggie dishes made using it. They couldn’t get enough of our “Cheesy Broccoli & Spinach Pasta” dinner we made using steamed vegetables and whole-wheat pasta covered in this sauce.

You can experiment with different kinds of nuts. You can try using more garlic, if your family and friends don’t mind! Also, using a touch of mustard gives it a nice twist. Try it on potatoes, cauliflower or green beans.

Be creative, and enjoy