Beyond Easy Ranch Dip and Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup               creme fraiche or sour cream
¼ teaspoon       organic granulated garlic (or 1 clove fresh garlic, minced)
_1/8 teaspoon      organic onion powder
1 Tablespoon    fresh (½ Tablespoon dried) dill
1 Tablespoon    fresh (½ Tablespoon dried) chives
to taste              Unrefined sea salt
to taste              Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients and adjust seasonings to taste. It’s that easy!

If you like it a bit tangier, add a Tablespoon of plain yogurt or homemade mayo.

If it’s thicker than you’d like, simply thin with a tiny bit of water.

Orange Cereal Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1 2/3 cup            unsifted organic whole spelt or whole Einkorn flour

½ cup                 coconut palm sugar

1 Tablespoon     baking powder (minus 1/8-1/4 tsp at high elevations)

¾ teaspoon        sea salt

1 cup                  Grapenuts

½ cup                 butter, melted

¾ cup                 orange juice

2                         eggs, well beaten

1 Tablespoon     grated orange rind (for Stirling, be careful not to put too much!)

DIRECTIONS:

     1.       In medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt

     2.       Add and stir in Grapenuts.

     3.       Combine melted butter, orange juice, beaten eggs, and orange rind.

     4.       Add to flour mixture.

     5.       Mix just enough to dampen.

     6.       Pour into greased muffin pans, filling ¾ full.

     7.    Bake at 425 F:  15-20 minutes for large muffins, 12-14 for medium muffins.

      Yummy with butter and honey!! But great just plain also!

Makes 12-16 muffins.

Chicken Divan

INGREDIENTS:

8 chicken breasts (halves, actually) or “equivalent” amount of chicken tenderloins, organic & boned

16-20 oz broccoli spears, organic,  frozen or fresh

1 can cream of celery or chicken soup (2 cans if you prefer more sauce)  (homemade cream of celery is lovely)

1 c mayonnaise (I like mayo made with 100% avocado oil)

1 teaspoons curry powder

3 Tablespoons lemon (or lime) juice, organic

Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS:

1. In casserole dish that you will serve with, bake chicken at 350 (325 if using glass dish) for 30-45 minutes depending on chicken size.

2. Remove chicken, cool and debone, reserving chicken juices in dish.

3. Cook broccoli to desired doneness realizing that it will cook a teeny bit more after assembling casserole.

4. Mix together the soup, mayonnaise, curry and lemon juice.

5. Place cooked broccoli in casserole dish.

6. Place chicken on top of broccoli.

7. Cover with soup mixture.

8. Sprinkle with desired amount of cheese.

9. Bake 30 minutes at 350. (325 if using glass dish)

Nice served with long-grain brown and wild rice.

Tortilla Topper

Double this recipe to make 2 stacks.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Tablespoons   avocado or coconut oil, organic

4 8-inch             flour tortillas, whole wheat and/or organic

¼ cup               onion, organic and finely chopped

¼ cup               mild salsa, organic and pureed

2 oz (1/2 can)    chopped green chilies, organic and drained

16 oz can          refried beans, organic

4 oz (1 cup)       Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

2 oz (1/2 cup)    Cheddar cheese, shredded

Lettuce, organic, shredded

Tomatoes, organic, chopped

Sour cream, optional

Black olives, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. After above ingredients are prepared (i.e. chopped, pureed, shredded, etc), preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat.

3. Fry tortillas in hot oil 5-10 seconds on each side until lightly browned and blistered.

4. Drain well on paper towels.

5. In remaining oil, add a little more, if necessary, saute onion until tender.

6. Stir in taco sauce and green chilies.

7. Remove from heat.

8. Place 1 tortilla on ungreased cookie sheet.

9. Top with 1/3 of beans, 1/3 of onion mixture, and 1/3 of Jack cheese.

10. Repeat layering 2 more times, ending with a tortilla on top.

11. Sprinkle top tortilla with Cheddar cheese.

12. Bake at 375 for 15-17 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.

13. Place on serving platter.

14. Top with lettuce and tomatoes.

15. Cut into wedges.

If desired, serve with sour cream and olives.

Red Pepper and Spinach Scramble Wraps

INGREDIENTS:

4                    Whole grain soft taco tortillas or wraps of choice, warmed

6                    large eggs, free range

1                    garlic clove, minced, organic

¼ tsp             sea salt

1/8 tsp           black pepper

1                   Tablespoon  Olive oil

2 c                 baby spinach, organic

¼ c                roasted red peppers from jar, chopped, organic (or make your own)

1/3 c              Feta cheese crumbles

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with garlic, salt and pepper.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil.

3. Add spinach and saute until spinach begins to wilt. (Brian would likely prefer this to be “more” wilted.)

4. Pour in eggs and top with red peppers.

5. Cook eggs, stirring frequently, until they begin to set, about 1-2 minutes.

6. Sprinkle in feta cheese, stirring until eggs are completely set, about 1-2 minutes more.

7.  Lay out tortillas on a clean work surface and top with eggs. Fold in one end, then roll tightly to create wrap.

Sunrise Eggs

INGREDIENTS:

4 wholegrain flour tortillas, organic, multi-grain or flax or… (not burrito ones--smaller)

8 eggs, free-range

2 teaspoon water

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon butter

½ cup chopped green onions, organic

2 medium tomatoes, organic, seeded and chopped

4-oz can chopped green chilis, drained, organic

4 oz (1 cup) shredded cheese, Monterey Jack or cheddar

4 Tablespoon taco sauce

Dairy sour cream, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

1.       Heat oven to 350*.

2.       Wrap tortillas in foil; bake about 5 minutes or until warm.

3.       While tortillas are baking, combine eggs, water and salt in medium bowl; beat well.

4.       In large skillet, melt butter.

5.       Add egg mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs are almost set.

6.       Remove from heat.

7.       Place warm tortillas on large ungreased cookie sheet.

8.       Top each tortilla with ¼ of the eggs, onions, tomatoes, green chilis and cheese.

9.       Bake at 350* for 5-10 minutes or until very warm and cheese is melted.

10.   Remove from oven and  top each with 1 Tbsp taco sauce and sour cream.

4 servings

Tuna Bunwiches

INGREDIENTS:

1 can tuna (6.5-7 oz), drained and flaked

1/3 c mayonnaise, made with 100% avocado oil

¼ c diced celery, organic

¼ c shredded/grated carrots, organic

2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish or chopped sweet pickle

1 tsp minced onion

Bread of choice i.e. roll, biscuit, sliced, etc

            Or

a large tomato, cut into a “flower”

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix together first 6 ingredients.

2. Spoon mixture on or between bread of choice or fill tomato with tuna mix.

3.  If using bread you can eat it cold or wrap the sandwich in foil, place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 15 minutes.