McDonald's Drops 'Pink Slime' from it's Burgers

I saw this in Time Magazine today and was pretty disgusted.  Everyone knows that fast food isn't the healthy way to eat, but very few people understand what goes into fast food to make it even MORE unhealthy.  Take a read--it's short.

http://moneyland.time.com/2012/02/01/mcdonalds-drops-pink-slime-from-hamburger-meat/?xid=newsletter-weekly

Pumpkin Pancakes

I have 2 kids that are gluten and dairy intolerant. (I don't do very well with dairy either). These pancakes are an awesome alternative and something we can all eat at an affordable price. I grind my own quinoa into flour in my Vitamix. If you have a wheat grinder, you can also use that.

1 1/2 c. quinoa flour
1/4 c. packed brown sugar (I use Sucanat, pure maple syrup, or agave nectar)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. buttermilk or sour milk (I make my own buttermilk, using just shy of 1 c. rice, almond milk with 1 TB vinegar or lemon juice mixed in. Since the recipe calls for 1 3/4 c. buttermilk, I adjust my homemade buttermilk to make that much).
1 c. pumpkin puree
2 large eggs (I use chia seeds. 1 TB chia seeds to 3 TB water. Mix and let sit 15 minutes)
2 TB vegetable oil (I use unsweetened apple sauce)
maple syrup
1/2 c. toasted pecans (I haven't used these)
whipped cream (optional. I don't use this either)

Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt into a large bowl. Mix well.
Whisk together the milk, pumpkin, eggs, and oil in a medium bowl. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.
Serve with maple syrup, pecans, and whipped cream.

Layered Tex-Mex Lasagna

If you haven't watched "Forks Over Knives," you should. It's on Netflix and SO worth your time! This recipe comes from the "Forks Over Knives" cookbook. My kids loved it and so did I!

Tomato Sauce
2- 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
3 c. water
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 TB chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

4 c. mashed cooked pinto beans
1 c. chopped green onions
1 1/2 c. frozen corn, thawed
1- 2 1/4 oz. can sliced black olives, drained, optional
1-2 TB chopped green chiles, optional
10-12 corn tortillas
salsa, optional
tofu sour cream, optional

1. To make the sauce: Put all ingredients for the sauce into a saucepan. Mix well with a whisk until well combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more chili powder if desired. Set aside.

2. To assemble casserole: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the beans, green onions, corn olives, and green chiles into a large bowl and mix gently until well combined.

3. Spread 1 1/2 c. of the sauce over the bottom of a nonstick baking dish (9x13). Place 3-4 corn tortillas in the bottom. Spread half of the bean mixture evenly over the tortillas. Place another 3 or 4 tortillas over bean mixture, then spread the remaining bean mixture on top. Cover with 3 or 4 more tortillas, and then pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Cover the baking dish with parchment paper, then cover with aluminum foil, crimping the edges over the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes.

Southwestern EggRolls

These are AMAZING! They take A LONG time to prepare. So when we make these, we do a huge batch! That's why the recipe has such large quantities. It makes about 50 burritos. So if you don't want that many, divide everything up and make maybe 5. :) But it's just as much work to make 50 as it is 5. So we just go all out. And then we freeze them for meals for later. They do have chicken and cheese in them. But you can just omit it if you want. My kids are obsessed with these and they are so so nice to pop into the oven from the freezer for 30 minutes for an awesome dinner. This is a recipe from the restaurant "Chili's." They fry them. I like them better baked like I do with this recipe.

10 chicken breasts
10 T. oil
1 1/4 c minced red pepper
1 1/4 c. green onion
3 1/3 c. frozen corn
2 1/2 c. black beans (2 cans)
1 1/4 c. green chiles (1 lg can and 1 sm can)
5 TB minced fresh parsley
1 1/4 c. frozen, drained spinach
5 tsp. cumin
5 tsp. chili powder
2 1/2 tsp. salt
7 1/2 c. monterey jack cheese (I don't use nearly this much if I use the cheese)
50- 7 inch flour tortillas

BBQ chicken, brushed with oil and salted and peppered until cooked.
Saute green onion and red pepper in oil. Dice chicken and add to oil. Add everything except cheese and heat through. Stir in cheese and fill tortillas. Roll up and freeze on baking sheet.

Obviously if you don't use the chicken, you won't need NEARLY that much oil. Just enough to saute the green onions and peppers. I have never made them completely without the chicken AND cheese, but I want to try it soon. I think they would be so so good still! If you do omit the chicken , definitely add more black beans!! You'll have to experiment since there is a ton of chicken in them.

When ready to bake, put into oven frozen for 25-35 minutes on 350 degrees.

Tortilla Soup

I had this soup at a luncheon one time and fell in love. It's a little more complicated, but worth the trouble! Of course to make it Vegan, omit the chicken and use Veggie broth instead. I am famous for doing that with recipes.

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB olive oil
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1-2(14 oz) cans chicken broth/veggie broth
1 c. corn
1 small can green chiles
1 can white hominy
1 can black beans
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

Toppings: avocado, tortilla chips (leave those out to minimize calories), cheese (if you wish. this will add a significant amount of calories), green onion

In medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to boil and simmer 5-10 minutes.

Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer 10 minutes.

Veggie Chili

My sister gave me this recipe and I loved it. My kids aren't huge Chili fans, but they still eat it. :) If your family likes Chili, you'll love this Vegan version.

1 c. onion
1 green pepper
2 tsp. garlic
2 cans black beans
1 can white beans
1 can kidney beans
1 28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
2 TB chili powder
2 TB oregano
1 tsp. coriander
2 tsp. cumin
4 c. veggie broth

Cook on low in a crock pot for 4-8 hours. At end, stir in 1/3 c. couscous to thicken.

Note: You can always use whatever beans you have on hand. It doesn't matter what kind. :)

Chicken (or non-chicken) Chowder

This is one of my kids favorite soups. I do sometimes do it with chicken or sometimes I will just leave it out. I modified the original recipe for a healthier, non-dairy version. :)

2-3 pieces chicken
1 qt. chicken or veggie broth
1 c. celery (diced)
1/2 c. onion (diced)
1 c. grated carrots
4 c. potatoes (diced small)
2 TB butter (I use Earth Balance brand)
cornstarch and water mixture for thickening (1/3 c. cornstarch with warm water mixed in to make it runny)
1 c. almond or plan rice milk

Boil chicken 15-20 minutes. In separate pan, cook all veggies in a broth. Bring to boil and then simmer 20 minutes. Add in cooked chicken once veggies are cooked through.

Add butter and almond milk. Stir in cornstarch mixture with wire whisk to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 10 minutes.

Note: If you don't use the chicken, you can ALWAYS add some more of the veggies. :)