Cheesy Lentils and Greens (gluten free)

Cheesy Lentils and Greens (gluten free)

"Super Really Good," said five year old G-man, when I asked how to describe Cheesy Lentils and Greens. While that endorsement makes me smile, I'll have to tell you myself that it is like a grown up mac'n'cheese. Minus the mac, with lentils and added bites of kale. Is it a side or an entree? Yes.


1 cup red lentils
2 cups water
2 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 small mushrooms, finely diced
1 bunch kale, ribs removed
1 cup grated cheddar

In a lidded saucepan (an Ultimate Pan if you have one) gently heat the lentils, water, milk, and salt to a low boil. Turn the heat down, put the lid on and simmer until the lentils are al dente, between twenty minutes to half an hour.

Meanwhile, finely chop the kale and mushrooms. Add them to the lentil mixture, and continue to simmer until the kale is softened.

Stir in the cheddar, then serve.

I shared this recipe with Fight back Friday and Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love,  Empty Your Archive (veggie collection),  Homestead Barn Hop,  Fat Tuesday,  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Blog Hop,  Gluten Free Wednesday,  Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday,  Thriving on Thursday and the HomeAcre Hop.

www.stealthymom.com

Warm Winter Salad (gluten free, vegan)

A colourful pick-me-up for mid-winter. This warm salad combines sweet purple cabbage and nutty garbanzos over a bed of mixed greens. Cheery and sweet, this salad can give you a boost:

Purple cabbage is chock full of vitamin C, which we need so badly this time of year, and cooking it minimally retains as much as possible while still sweetening up the dish. Cabbage is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, while the anthocyanins (which make it purple) may fight certain cancer cells. More points for cabbage come from fibre, potassium, and vitamins A and K.

Garbanzo beans also contain dietary fibre and protein, potassium and thiamin (B1.) What is interesting about garbanzos is that a serving contains as much iron, if not more, than a serving of lean beef. Tossing the the cabbage and garbanzos in olive oil provides another anti-inflammatory agent, and the mesclun mix adds a host of trace minerals and vitamins.

For two meals, or four sides:

1/4 head purple cabbage
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp chopped green onion or leek
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans, precooked or canned and drained
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt or lite salt
1/4-1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp parsley
mesclun salad mix

Chop the cabbage and toss it with the olive oil and green onion in a pan. Gently heat until the cabbage is softened, then add the beans, lemon juice, salt, coriander and parsley. Toss with tongs or a spatula until the ingredients are hot. Turn off the heat.

Place mesclun mix on serving dishes, and top with the cabbage and beans mixture. Serve.




I shared this recipe with the Hearth and Soul Hop, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Healthy 2Day Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday,  Simple Lives Thursday,  Gluten Free Friday,  Fight Back Friday and Fat Tuesday.

www.stealthymom.com

Quinoa with Veggies (vegan, gluten free)

Quinoa with Veggies (vegan, gluten free)

Quinoa and cabbage are great together. Add carrots for colour, celery for crunch, lightly sauté it all with sesame oil and aminos, and you have a hearty and delicious veggie meal. The Cadet tore into his bowl, bits aflyin', and G-man needed each bite to be assembled with at least one piece of celery. Quinoa and preschoolers can be a pretty messy combination but well worth the clean-up to have them eat lots of vegetables.

For four servings,

1 cup quinoa
2 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1/4 head cabbage, chopped
1 cup grated carrots
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 tsp salt

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a lidded sauce pan. (I use an "Ultimate" pan for just about everything.) Keep boiling for about five minutes, then put the cover on the pan and turn off the heat. Allow it to sit for fifteen minutes while you chop your vegetables.

In a sauté pan (or the same "Ultimate"pan,) pour the sesame oil and aminos. Stir in the quinoa until it is coated. Add the cabbage and cook for about five minutes. Turn off the heat and add the carrots, celery, and salt. Give everything a toss and serve it up.


I shared this recipe with  Monday Mania,  Meatless Mondays and Fat Tuesday.


www.stealthymom.com

Sweet Potato Gems (gluten free, vegan, no added sugar)

Sweet Potato Gems

This sweet potato casserole is hued in festive oranges and reds. In a break from tradition, no marshmallows distract from the delicate and sweet spiciness. So simple, yet so pretty and flavourful, Sweet Potato Gems would make a cheery addition to any meal.

3 cups grated sweet potatoes (one large)
1 cup grated beets (one large or four small. Beets vary greatly.)
1 cup water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt of your choice

Preheat the oven to 375F Grease a lidded casserole dish with coconut oil or a light spray of olive oil.

Layer the grated sweet potatoes and beets. (Do not mix them.) Start with a bottom layer, two inches thick, of sweet potatoes. Top with a thin layer of beets, then the rest of the sweet potatoes and rest of the beets.

Stir the spices and salt into the water, and pour evenly over the sweet potato and beet layers.

Bake for about an hour with the lid on. 

Looking for more natural food recipes and ideas? Check out these recipe shares: Pennywise Platter, Foodie Friday, Fight Back Friday,  Allergy Friendly Friday,  Allergy Free Wednesday,  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,  Real Food Wednesday,  Full Plate Thursday and Empty Your Archives (veggie collection)

www.stealthymom.com

Fast and Cheesy Veggies (in ten minutes)

Fast and Cheesy Veggies

Broccoli and cheese. When you are short on time, that is when the cheese sauce comes out of the jar in the fridge and gets popped into the microwave... Don't do it!  Don't "Whiz" on perfectly good vegetables! You know what's in that stuff? (Me, neither. I have heard rumours, and have attempted to read the tiny print of the ingredient list many-a-time.) 

You can make a cheese sauce from scratch, using real cheese and real milk, in a few short minutes. As an entree or as a side, vegetables in this cheese sauce are a win at our house. 

Green Bean Fries on the Grill (gluten free, vegan)

Green Bean Fries on the Grill

Fresh green beans add a splash of vibrant colour to your cook-out plate. With a good, solid cast iron pan you can bake Green Bean Fries just like in the oven.

green beans
olive oil
salt, sea salt or "lite" salt

Wash, dry, and trim the end off the green beans. Toss in olive oil and lightly sprinkle with your choice of salt.

When the grill is hot, close the lid to evenly heat the interior. Spread the green beans evenly in the bottom of the  seasoned, cast iron pan. Place the pan on the grill and close the lid again. Bake for about ten minutes, open the lid on the grill, and turn the beans over. Bake for another couple of minutes until evenly browned. Remove the pan from the grill.

[If we serve these to G-man and the Cadet as a snack ahead of a meal, they gobble them up. As delicious as they are, they do not compete well against corn bread, potatoes, burgers, or other grill fare. Kids, eh?]



I shared this recipe with Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways and the Ultimate Recipe Swap.


www.stealthymom.com

Fries On the Grill (gluten free, vegan)

Yukon Gold Fries on the Grill

Want fries with that burger? If you are firing up the grill, you can make oven-style fries without heating up the oven.  All you need is a good, solid cast iron pan or skillet to keep the taters from burning on the bottom. (The one in the photo is actually the lid from a cast-iron casserole dish.)

potatoes
olive oil
salt or lite salt

Wash, dry and cut up the potatoes into whatever thickness you want as long as they are consistent. Toss the potato pieces with the oil. Sprinkle with salt before cooking if you wish.

When the grill is hot, shut the lid to heat the inside like an oven. Spread the fries out on a sturdy, seasoned cast-iron pan or skillet. Place the skillet on the grill and close the lid again. Bake for about ten minutes, depending on the temperature of the grill. (Ten minutes is good for 400F, if you have a thermometer.) When the fries are golden on the bottom, turn them over. The pan will retain a lot of heat energy so if you take it off the grill after about five minutes the potato pieces will keep browning on the bottom. That is pretty handy if you have other items to cook and want the fries to stay hot.

[Note: It is not a great idea to bake fries on the grill at the same time as cornbread. Opening the lid slows the oven-effect and the cornbread can burn on the bottom before it is baked. Don't ask me how I know.]


www.stealthymom.com

Grilled Mini Peppers (gluten free)

Grilled Mini Peppers

Have you ever seen mini bell peppers? They about the size of jalapenos, but are sweet and mild. As soon as I saw them, I thought, "stuff them with cream cheese and throw them on the barbecue!" A recipe on the side of the bag suggested doing just that, but to bake them instead. Baking would be okay, but the smokey sweetness of a grilled pepper is a rare treat. Even G-man, who currently says he does not like peppers, snuck a few bites.

1 lb  bag mini bell peppers
8 oz cream cheese

Wash dry, and count the peppers. Cut a sit in each pepper lengthwise. Cut the cream cheese in as many cubes as there are peppers. (That is the fun part. I accidentally had a few cubes left over and had to eat them. Ooops.)

Place the peppers onto a hot grill and close the lid. In about ten minutes, they will be soft will grill-marks on one side. Done!

Variation: We bought a jar of hot pepper jelly from a roadside seller. I have no idea what is in it but adding a half a spoonful to the cooked peppers gave some heat to the grown-up's plates.



www.stealthymom.com

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole (gluten free)

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole (gluten free)

This is a one-dish wonder: broccoli, cauliflower, grated potatoes, milk and cheese are layered into a casserole dish. After baking, you get a baked broccoli with a rich cheese sauce. The flavours of the potatoes and cauliflower blend in.

"Clean" Bean Casserole (gluten free option)

"Clean" Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole is a tradition in the Midwest. Since moving here, I have rarely attended a holiday gathering or buffet where it was not served. For those of you who have never had it, I will try my best to describe it: creamy green beans, with a hint of mushrooms and onions. Some folks make it mushy with canned green beans; some folks make it firmer with fresh or frozen. Almost without exception, it involves canned mushroom soup and canned, fried onions. Knowing what it is made of, and anticipating a migraine from the monosodium glutamate, I still dig in whenever I see it.

There are recipes out there for green bean casserole that involve making mushroom soup from scratch. We wanted a recipe that was as easy and tasty as the original, just without the canned soup and odd, chemical onions. There have been prior attempts. (One version, involving blended tofu, found its way to the trash pretty quickly.)

Here it is! "Clean" Bean Casserole has no weird ingredients, is simple, and is very close to the original in taste and texture.

Easy Coleslaw (vegan, gluten free, low sodium)

Fresh coleslaw is a treat with any sandwich, any time of year. It is great for picnics, potlucks, or just to keep on hand for a snack. (Neither G-man nor the Cadet appreciate this crunchy and slightly sweet side. They will catch on, perhaps, when they are older.)

Simple Coleslaw

1/2 head cabbage, finely sliced
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp mustard

1/4 cup shredded carrots (optional)
1/4 cup shredded purple cabbage (optional)
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl, preferably with your hands. Refrigerate for a few hours, up to a couple days. The sugar will pull juice from the cabbage to make a dressing.


www.stealthymom.com

Operation Broccoli

Today’s challenge was to get G-man to eat broccoli. No stealth, and no bribes. I had heard that ownership is a key factor in getting kids to try things they have written off as yucky.

In preparation for today, I took him with me to the grocery store to choose produce. He cheerfully picked out a bag of carrots, a bunch of broccoli and, at his own request, a head of cauliflower.

When cutting up some veggies for a stir-fry, I called out and asked if he wanted to help with lunch. No, thanks. Caillou was on. I asked him if he remembered the vegetables he picked out at the grocery store the other day, and if he would like to help me cook them. G-man left the living room, and came into the kitchen with his “baby table,” a footstool. Game on!

Into a pan I poured some olive and sesame oils and a dash of lite soy sauce. (Half of a whole lot of salt is still a lot of salt, so just a dash will have to do.) I held the chopping board next to the pan and let him toss in a few pieces of chopped broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. He stirred them a couple times with a tongs, and was off again.

He came back wanting to throw in frozen blueberries. Why not? We tossed in some frozen blueberries. And off he ran, not seeing the pinch of brown sugar coat the sautéed veggies.

This is what a stir-fry looks like with blueberries.  It was his idea, and he ate it.

G-man came back just in time to see his lunch put onto a plate, in perfect little piles, with some extra blueberries for good measure.  The next step was to let him play with it. He tried to make balls, then pancakes. He squished it against the side of the plate. I had to walk away to laugh around the corner, and when I returned, he had blueberry juice smeared on his face, arms, and legs. All but one piece of broccoli was gone, though. I witnessed him eat the last piece and proudly shout that it was, “a-licious!”

Score! G-man got a bath, as did the floor, the table, and chair.


www.stealthymom.com


This photo is linked to Friday Food Flicks, a weekly roundup of food pictures around the web!