Pesto Cream Sauce

A yummy combination of alfredo and pesto sauce. Great with pork or chicken! I dipped my steamed broccoli in it - MMMmm!!

If you don't want to use the flour, you can thicken with cornstarch (use half the amount called for flour) or simply replace the milk with cream.

1/4 cup pesto sauce
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Heat pesto sauce in a medium saucepan.
Add butter and stir until melted.
Add flour and stir until thick. (If using cornstarch, see note)
Stir in milk or cream. Simmer and stir until thickened. Stir in cheese.

Serve with your choice of meat and/or pasta!

***Note: If using cornstarch, add it at the end - mix with 1 T of water and add to bubbling sauce. Stir until thickened.

Roasted Radishes

Another yummy surprise discovered while cooking for Dad.

ROASTED RADISHES

1 package radishes
2 tsp Olive oil
Seasonings as desired 

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put the 2 tsp. of oil in a baggie with whatever seasonings you want. Shake to coat.

Add coconut oil to a small oven-proof skillet and heat. Add radishes and saute, stirring occasionally, until brown spots form. Put skillet in oven and roast for 15 minutes, stirring at least once.

These were really delicious! Next time I'll try adding radishes to our usual roasted veggies (basically the same method with baby carrots and whole garlic cloves).

Paleo Candy Bars

I wanted to find a treat I could enjoy while eating paleo. My nutritionist wants me to eat some coconut oil and some raw organic chocolate every day, so I figured I could start with that.

The base of this candy is just that - equal parts raw, organic cocoa and coconut oil. You could just mix the two together and have a tasty candy (add a few drops of liquid stevia to your taste). I did just that for awhile. I mixed it in an old coconut oil jar, left it in the fridge and grabbed a spoonful (with a clean spoon, of course!) whenever I had a sweet tooth.

I got the idea to step it up a notch when I found similar items for sale online, for a hefty price. "I can do that!" I said, so I did!

I can think of tons of variations. Stir in a little nut butter, dried fruits, your favorite extract. I don't really taste the coconut from just the coconut oil, but you might, so plan your flavors around that. You can certainly leave out or vary any of the nuts, seeds, coconut etc. Remember, it's a very tasty just with the cocoa, oil and sweetener.

Virgin coconut oil's melting point is 78 degrees F, and it's soft below for a few degrees below that. Chilling will make it candy bar consistency. You will want to store these in the fridge or freezer and eat it immediately.

I have oval shaped molds, and put 2 Tbsp for each serving. An ice cube tray or mini muffin tin would work great, or you could spoon out onto tray. Refrigerate until solid, then pop out and store in a ziploc bag. As far as I know, they keep indefinitely. It's a great treat when you're craving something you shouldn't be eating!

Here are some of my favorites:

Spicy (or not!) Dark Chocolate

1 cup coconut oil
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper (leave out if you don't want spicy)
1/2 cup each: sunflower seeds, pepitas, coconut
1/4 cup chopped almonds
30 drops liquid stevia

Melt coconut oil over low heat. Remove from heat when melted. Add other ingredients, mix well. Pour into molds and chill until firm.


Cinnamon-Vanilla

1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt
40 drops liquid stevia
1/2 cup each: coconut, sunflower seeds, pepitas, chopped almonds

Stir 1 tsp raw cocoa nibs into each mold if desired.

Spanish Rice

I don't like most Spanish rice, but a few years ago I felt like having some and found this recipe. It's really simple and the entire family loved it!

* 2 tablespoons oil 
* 1 cup uncooked white rice 
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
* 2 cups water
* 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (your spice preference)
* 2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
* 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute rice until brown, Add onion and bell pepper and saute until onions are tender.
2. Stir in water and tomatoes. Season with chili powder and salt. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.

John's Marinara Sauce

Recipe by my husband, John.

John created this a few years ago for my Dad's special diet. We love it! I freeze it in small containers so there is always some available. Ice cube trays work great - pop out and store in a plastic bag once frozen.

MARINARA SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 28-30 oz can crushed tomatoes 
1 cup Miripois (roughly diced bell pepper (1/2), onion (1 medium) , carrot (2) , & celery (3 stalks))
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
I tsp fresh oregano – minced
1 tsp fresh thyme – minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper (if desired)
3 bay leaves
2 tbs olive oil

Procedure:

Place the olive oil in a cast iron Dutch oven. Sauté the miripois & garlic over medium high heat until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, herbs, salt, red pepper (if desired), & bay leaves. Simmer stirring occasionally for an hour (or longer – longer is better). Remove bay leaves & serve. 

Note: This recipe freezes well. We usually use some immediately and freeze the rest in ice cube trays. A few cubes can be added to dishes for instant marinara!

Lemonade

The ultimate summer drink, Lemonade is popular year 'round with my crew. We have a Meyer lemon tree. When it produces, it produces a LOT. The kids are in heaven when that happens - they get to make fresh lemonade every day!

The rest of the year they make it with fresh lemons if they can get them, but usually that is too expensive. Second best is bottled lemon juice.

They've been making it all by themselves since they were six years old. I even bought an electric citrus juicer just for them! The recipe is time-tested and in our opinion, perfect in every way. I hope you enjoy!

FRESH LEMONADE

1 cup sugar
4 cups water

Mix into a sugar syrup. I never boil the water - just stir well and let it sit for awhile, stir again and go do something else, then stir again. It should be completely dissolved!

1 cup lemon juice

Mix into the syrup. Chill (if you are really patient. We never are), pour over ice and enjoy!

This also makes fabulous freezies, whether in a popsicle mold or just any old plastic cup. Happy summer!!

Parsley Potatoes

A delicious accompaniment to any meal.

PARSLEY POTATOES

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1 whole garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil, or vegetable oil or butter (I used olive oil)
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth 
1 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil or butter until tender. Set aside. Scrub potatoes and then dice into large pieces. In large saucepan, boil potatoes in broth (plus added water to cover); drain when tender (roughly 15-20 minutes). Stir in extra butter, parsley, salt, and pepper. 4 servings.