Tortilla Soup, from scratch

 Turn this lovely pile of vegetables into Dinner!

Lish's Tortilla Soup - this is one of my all time favorites. 

So healthful, flavorful and economical if you are feeding a crowd. 

1) Boil 1-2 breast(s) of chicken - allow to cool, then shred and set aside
I am the master at stretching meat, and since there are beans in this soup as well, you don't need a chicken breast per person, you just need the taste of it present. I usually calculate 1 breast per three persons.
Also, don't over boil chicken. It makes it tough and chewy. Boil it over medium-high heat, keep an eye on it, use an internal thermometer to check it periodically and pull it off the heat once it reaches 160 degrees.

2) In heavy-grade blender, blend up 3 cups of the broth from the chicken you just boiled, with about 2 tablespoons of corn kernels. Blend it until the kernels disappear and it doesn't sound like a jet is landing in your kitchen any longer.... The corn kernels impart a nice authentic corn flavor.
Please use caution when blending hot liquids. Increase speed slowly, allowing the steam to vent through the removable plastic circle piece found on all blender lids. Cover the hole with a dish towel.

3)I love this recipe for it's versatility and nurition content.
Add in any/all of the following veggies:
 1 carrot stick, 1 celery stalk, 1 small yellow onion,  1-2 tomatoes, 1/2 of a medium sized zucchini or squash, 1" thick slice of cabbage, 1/2 of any color bell pepper, and a healthy sized bunch of fresh cilantro. For a little kick, consider adding a serano and/or a jalapeno pepper. I typically dice the peppers into smaller pieces before blending to ensure that there are no "chunks" of spicy pepper in anyone's bowl.

4)On stovetop, in large soup pot; add the following:
1 can of pinto or black beans; drained (or a can of each for a larger crowd)
1/2 bag of frozen sweet corn
shredded chicken from step #1
Season with 1+ teaspoon each: salt, pepper, cumin, and some variety of chile powder.
Seasoning is always done to taste by the person cooking it, the only thing to be cautious of is salt. Otherwise, bring on the flavor, baby!

5) Pour the blended vegetables over the chicken, beans, and corn and stir together. Bring to a low boil to allow flavor to meld.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, slices of avocado, chopped cilantro, sliced green onion and tortillas chips. All of the toppings are very enjoyable for guests to build their bowl to their personal liking. Enjoy!

my little chef

While these lemon bars we were making ended up being nothing to write home about, my little chef sure is! As we were making the crust for our lemon bars, I had to stop to change baby girl's diaper (due to the classic ability of newborns to poop large amounts right at the most inconvenient time). I asked Bodhi to keep mixing the crust together with his hands while I change Eden's diaper. I was away a good five minutes or more, as a whole new outfit was needed for my baby girl. When I came back in the kitchen, I saw Bodhi mixing a little, eating a little, mixing a little, eating a little. I am pretty sure this had gone on the whole time I was gone, as there was dough all over his face, including in his eyelashes. One of those moments you have to document, and it makes me laugh just looking at the pictures.

homemade almond biscotti

If the title of this post intimidates you, don't fret! Making biscotti is actually very easy. It's like making cookies, and then baking them twice. The one thing that makes this process super easy is a silpat mat. It is excellent for baking when one is dealing with sticky dough. If you don't have a silpat mat or don't want to make the investment, no worries. You can just use parchment paper.

Almond Biscotti

1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c whole almonds, ground in blender/food processor (not as fine as flour; leave them slightly coarse for some texture)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 orange; freshly zested (about 1 tablespoon orange zest)
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees; line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almonds, baking powder, salt & ground fennel. In another large bowl, beat eggs & sugar with electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until they are pale yellow in color and fluffy.  Zest your orange over the bowl, and then add in the almond extract. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture just until blended. The dough will be sticky.

Transfer the sticky dough to your prepared baking sheet. Drop two equally sized mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, side by side. Leave room for the dough to expand and rise as it bakes. Wet your hands with water and form the mounds into 11"X3" rectangles. Bake for 35 minutes, remove and cool 5 minutes. With bread knife, slice the rectangles into 1/2" thick biscotti, and then turn the individual biscotti onto it's side to continue baking. Bake another 25 minutes.

Random fun fact about biscotti, they originated way back in the day as a diet staple for Roman soldiers. The Roman women figured out that if you baked them twice, they would travel much farther and last much longer, so that's exactly what they did. Then they sent their men out with bags full of biscotti, hurrah! Who wouldn't fight better knowing they have a big ol' bag of homemade biscotti!

Cooking Oils 101

There are several oils with which one can use to cook. But I tend to stick to three oils + butter for all of my cooking & baking: organic canola, organic olive, organic grapeseed, organic coconut and of course organic butter.

I will break down each oil with it's smoke point, recommended uses, and nutritional properties. The smoke point is the point at which the oil will begin to smoke and break down, imparting a burnt taste to your food.

Oil                                   Smoke Point :degrees F        

Grapeseed                      485                           
baking, sautee, frying
Grapeseed oil has antioxidants; vitamins C & E, beta carotine, and omegas 3,6 & 9.
Grapeseed oil has a neutral taste. With it's high smoke point and mild flavor, it is (in my humble opinion) an all-around excellent oil to have on hand.

Olive                               375-405                  
sautee, dressings, marinades, sauces
Olive oil helps regulate blood pressure, aids in digestion, nourishes the skin & hair, contains fatty acids for brain support, and is good for the bones as it's rich in calcium.
I love olive oil for fried eggs, sauteed and oven-roasted vegetables and drizzling over salad greens.


Organic Canola             400                           
sautee, bake, fry
Canola, also known as rapeseed oil, but who would want to purchase it with a name like that?
Canola is full of vitamin E, low in saturated fat, and contains higher amounts of fatty acids Omega 3 and 6 than olive oil. It's high smoke point results in lower amounts of oils absorbed into fried foods. Fried foods are typically fried at 365 degrees, well below Canola's smoke point.

Coconut                          350                           
baking, light sautee
Coconut is bad to the bone, seriously. Dr. Mercola says it is the healthiest oil you can use. It supports your immune system and metabolism, nourishes your skin, provides a steady energy source, promotes heart health and weight loss, and the list goes on.
Coconut is fun for baking & homemade granolas. I highly recommend you try it the next time you make fresh stove-popped *popcorn. Yes, people still do this and it's good old fashioned fun! Give it a try.

*Organic corn kernels are a must. Otherwise, I will have encouraged you to eat genetically modified popcorn. And you would've made it all fresh, with TLC, and fed it to your family in good faith that Lish said this tasty and healthy, here sweet innocent children, eat, eat, eat! Nope. Don't want that on my conscience. Just, please purchase organic corn kernels. Thank you.


Organic Butter              350                            
baking, or anything really; in the words of Dear Julia"you can never have too much butter. Bon appetit!"
Butter is full of vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids.


Why did I specifically list canola and butter as "organic"? That would be because conventional canola and butter are significantly contaminated with toxins. Please read on....
If you are purchasing an imported oil, it is most likely of high quality and will not be genetically modified, especially when it's country of origin is somewhere in Europe - France, Spain, Italy, or the Mediterranean. This applies largely to olive oil, but in the instance of canola oil, this is not the case. Most canola oil for the world is grown in the USA and Canada. A very important side note concerning canola oil: purchase organic canola oil or you will most likely be cooking with a Genetically Modified Canola oil; 80% of the canola crop in North America is genetically modified. Largely grown in North Dakota, GM canola has spread 'into the wild' and has begun growing as a weed along the sides of highways. On a similar note, organic butter is highly recommended to avoid consumption of Bovine growth hormone.

Other oils I have used in the past and enjoyed include: high-oelic sunflower, safflower and avocado.

These are all great oils as well, just a bit more pricey. All of these oils have a high smoke point and can be used for cooking/frying and are nutritionally excellent choices.

Garlic Hummus & Homemade Meatballs

Making hummus is easier than you think; the most necessary item is not actually the ingredients. It's a high quality food processor or blender such as a Vita-Mix. You can make this in a non-commercial grade blender, but just be warned that it's going to be a bit of a process: periodically starting & stopping the blender, scraping down the sides of the blender to help it puree this thick mixture. The result is smooth, creamy fresh hummus. This recipe does not call for tahini, the typcial ingredient found in most hummus dips. I found that I didn't make hummus enough to merit purchasing a jar of tahini. It would usually go bad before I could get through it. I found raw cashews to be an exellent substitute.

Hummus
1 can organic garbanzo beans; reserve the bean juice
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 garlic cloves
6-9 tablespoons of the bean juice; use as much as needed to attain a smooth dip texture

Place all ingredients in blender/food processor and process until smooth & creamy.

Chop a tomato, and put it atop your fresh hummus dip, then drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
Serve with pita wedges, carrot sticks & bell pepper strips.

Add these pan-roasted meatballs for well-rounded meal!

Lish's pan-roasted meatballs
1 egg
1 slice of bread; blended into small, but not fine bread crumbs
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons parsely
1/2 teaspoon each salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves; fresh pressed
1/2 small yellow onion; finely chopped (abou 1/4 cup)
1 lb of  ground beef or bison
Sauce:
1 28 oz can tomatoes; blended to a slightly chunky sauce
1 bay leaf

In medium bowl; beat egg, add bread crumbs, spices, onion, garlic, & meat. Work ingredients together thoroughly with your hands, and then form mixture into 1" balls.

Get a large frying pan heating on the stove top with a generous amount of olive oil.

Fry in batches, do not crowd the pan, on stove top over medium-high heat.

Turn the meatballs to brown each side, and remove them once they are browned but not fully cooked.
Remove to a plate and let rest while you cook all meatballs.

Once all meatballs are browned, add them all back to the frying pan.

Pour the tomato sauce over top, add the bay leaf, and let the mixture cook & bubble away to finish cooking the meatballs.

Gourmet Peanut Butter & Jelly

Well, I don't know any mom out there who can get around this ever-dependable lunchtime food. But I've got a delightful idea....make it "gourmet". This means you've got to spring for the good stuff. I promise it tastes so much better. And what makes it gourmet you ask? Justin's Honey Peanut Butter plus a real fruit spread = waa-laa.

If you know you're going to resort to this on days when lunchtime sneaks up on you or you just don't have the energy to make another meal 'cause - hey, didn't I just finish cleaning up breakfast no too long ago? Then do yourself and your kiddos a big favor, and make it taste good as well as be good for your body. Most jellies & jams are made with high fructose corn syrup, this bad, bad, bad! Purchase a real fruit spread made with cane sugar or organic sugar. I know Justin's costs a little more than other peanut butters, but the quality shines through. So, take my word and give it a try. You will not be disappointed. I still use other organic peanut butters for baking, but for the sandwich making, it's got to be Justin's. You know what they say...."Once you go Justin's you never go back".

Justin has created a very appetizing line of unique nut butters; including various peanut and almond butters to an outstanding chocolate hazelnut butter that outshines Nutella any day of the week. I haven't come across any Justin's nut butter that I didn't absolutely love.

Oh, and did I mention his new Organic Fair Trade Milk & Dark Chocolate Peanut butter cups? Mmm - good. Bonus, right now, there's a $1.00 off coupon inside each peanut butter cup package (or at least inside all of the ones I've been buying!) good on any jar of his 16 oz nut butters.

p.s. Justin's Nut Butter is a local company from Boulder, Colorado; but they are making concerted efforts to expand across the USA. My local mom n' pop health food stores, Whole Foods, Safeway and King Soopers carry his nut butters. Here is a list stores who carry his product, if you don't see it at a grocer near you then just ask the store manager the next time you shop about stocking Justin's on the shelf. Don't be afriad to let them know what you want! You are the customer, and they want to sell what you want to buy.

Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk (I use almond)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup apple sauce or 2 mashed bananas

1/2 cup brown sugar or 1/2 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 1/2 cups rolled or steel cut oats (NO instant oats! preferrably no quick-cooking oats)

I personally like rolled oats for this recipe.

This is a one bowl recipe. Add to large mixing bowl in order of ingredients listed, and mix well. Pour into a greased 8X8 pan and bake at 335 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Baked oatmeal is suposed to be super soft and moist, almost having a spongy texture.

This recipe is seriously delicious and very easy to make. It's wheat & gluten-free, low sugar, low fat - an all around healthful recipe. Not to metion all the benefits of consuming rolled oats. Alright, you twisted my arm; I will mention them. Oatmeal aids in lowering cholesterol, improving heart performance and is full of B vitamins, which help regulate metabolism. Oatmeal digests slowly, supplying you with a steady stream of energy. It is an excellent breakfast choice for a diabetic.

You could easily leave the sugar out of this recipe, and top it with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey on top. We like to eat it with a dallop of vanilla yogurt and fresh strawberries. Highly recommeded. If I knew how to put a "like" button on my blog, I'd place it right here and I'd hit my own like button.

Excellent for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, well....anytime actually. Yeah, it's that good.