Green Beans with Cashew Honey Sauce

We're on a veggie-eating spree. In the past, when I thought of preparing vegetables as a dish in and of themselves I generally thought of opening a can and heating it on the stove or chopping up veggies and eating them raw. Neither was a particularly appealing prospect to me. And smothering them with cheese seemed a bit counter-productive. So I started searching for delicious, nutritious ways to prepare vegetables. I've found a bunch, so be expecting lots of veggie posts! These beans are terrific!

Recipe from The Sisters Cafe

1 lb fresh green beans (I trim the ends off)
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. coarsely chopped cashews
2 Tbsp. honey

Steam green beans until tender. In a small skillet, saute cashews in butter over low heat for 5 minutes. Add honey and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over beans and toss until coated.

Nutritious Peanut Butter-Chocolate Banana Smoothie

We're kind of smoothie fanatics at our house. Almost every morning I break out the blender and whip up a smoothie with whatever fruit we have around--sometimes vegetables, too! My boys slurp them down in no time and it makes me feel at peace to know they're at least getting their daily servings of fruit. This smoothie is a little different than what I generally make--but it's amazing! While it's not exactly low-calorie, the fat in it is at least the good kind! It's very filling and a great source of protein.

And somehow, the bananas, milk, and peanut butter combine in such a way to create the creamiest concoction I've ever made! It really feels like a milkshake. We all adore this smoothie!

Recipe from Blendtec

2 bananas (I like to use frozen so it doesn't get as diluted with ice)

1 c. milk

3 Tbsp. peanut butter

2 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. cocoa

ice

Blend first 5 ingredients until smooth. Add ice until smoothie reaches desired consistency.

*I've also added in several cups of fresh spinach and a tablespoon or two or ground flaxseed with great results. If you can get past the murky camo-green color the spinach creates, it really doesn't taste much different. Just make sure to blend your spinach with the milk alone until it's pureed well in order to maintain the smooth consistency.

Knox Blox (Fruit Juice Jigglers)

I used to think Jell-O jigglers were such a fun treat! I was thrilled when I found this more nutritious option. We cut some with cookie cutters and cut the rest into squares. You can use any fruit juice, as far as I know (even not 100% juice), so I'm looking forward to experimenting with more! We used plain ol' orange juice this time and they turned out great.

Recipe from Knox Gelatine

4 envelopes (1 box) Unflavored Knox Gelatine

1 cup cold fruit juice

3 cups fruit juice, heated to boiling

2 Tbsp. sugar or honey, optional

Sprinkle gelatin over cold juice in large bowl; let stand 1 minute. Add hot juice and stir until gelatin completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in sugar or honey if desired. Pour into 9x13 pan (I also think it would be fun to try them in candy molds!). Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Store in refrigerator.

Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup

One thing I've noticed Utah has an abundance of but Texas seems to be lacking is a good selection of mid-grade places to eat. You know, places like Zupas, Cafe Rio, Kneaders, Guru's, Fazoli's...great places to grab a bite to eat which are nicer than fast food but don't break the bank. Panera Bread is one of those places. I've only been there once, but their bagels are the best I've ever had, and this copycat soup I found online is delicious!

Panera is owned by the same company who operates Paradise Bakery & Cafe in Utah. And, just an interesting sidenote, they have a few restaurants called "Panera Cares" where they serve food on a donation basis. They have been able to operate these restaurants and meet all expenses with this method. Some people donate more than necessary for their food, and those who can't afford it are always welcome to come and take what they need. It's a very intriguing concept!

In any case, this soup is amazing. :) I definitely suggest using fat-free half-and-half since there is a substantial amount of cheese and butter in the soup. It really doesn't make much difference in taste. I also suggest using sharp cheddar cheese, as listed, rather than a more mild version. Mild cheddar tends to get lost among other flavors, so I always like to use sharp cheddar in soups.

Recipe adapted from www.food.com

1 Tbsp. butter

1/2 medium chopped onion

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

2 cups half-and-half (I use fat-free)

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 lb. frozen broccoli

1 c. carrot, shredded

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

Saute onion in 1 Tbsp. butter and set aside. Melt 1/4 c. butter in a large pot. Add flour and whisk for 3-5 minutes until it is thick and bubbly. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half. Add the chicken stock. Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook broccoli according to directions on package (I use the microwave). Add broccoli, carrots, and onions to soup and simmer until all vegetables are soft. Add salt and pepper.

At this point the soup can be transferred to a blender and mixed to desired consistency. This is optional, but definitely helps picky kids swallow down those veggies! Return to heat and add cheese. Stir until melted throughout and stir in nutmeg.

Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls

Not the most nutritious bread option out there, but this is one fabulous side to anything remotely Italian! I recommend sliding a cookie sheet below the muffin pan in the oven. Sometimes the butter drips over the pan and sets off smoke detectors! Talmage declared, "I smell a little bit of pancake fire." :)

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

French Bread Dough:

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 1/2 c. warm water

1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

4-5 1/2 c. flour

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 egg yolk

Garlic Butter:

1 stick butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. marjoram

1/2 tsp. parsley

1-2 c. mozzarella cheese

Combine yeast, water, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and allow to stand 10 minutes until bubbly. Add salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolk and combine. Add 3 c. flour and mix well until combined. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely sticks to your finger. Knead, either by hand or in mixer, for another 2-3 minutes. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour.

Soften butter and mix with seasonings. Spray counter with non-stick cooking spray and roll out dough into a large rectangle, about 18-20 inches by 6 inches. Smear garlic butter over the entire surface of the dough and sprinkle with cheese.

Roll up cinnamon-roll style and slice into 12 equal sections using a strand of dental floss (preferrably non-mint flavored!). Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and place rolls in muffin cups. Allow to rise while preheating oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 18-22 minutes.

Mediterranean Delight Pizza

This might be our favorite pizza. It is an imitation of Papa Murphy's Mediterranean DeLite Pizza, but our version isn't quite as light. :) We start out with our traditional pizza crust and layer on olive oil, Italian seasoning, spinach, chicken, oven-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, and a sprinkling of mozzarella. There are so many delicious flavors in each bite!

I use a lot of approximation for the pizza crust, but here are the basics I follow:

1 1/4 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. yeast
pinch sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Combine water, yeast, and sugar and let sit until yeast foams. Add salt, flour, and olive oil and knead in stand mixer with dough hook or by hand. Continue to alternate adding olive oil or water as needed. Dough should not be sticky at all but should form a cohesive ball. Lightly coat ball of dough with olive oil, cover with towel, and let rise until double. Makes enough for 1 large jellyroll pan or 2 8-9 inch round pizzas.

Toppings:

olive oil

Italian seasoning

1/2 bag spinach, finely shredded

4-6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1-2 lbs chicken, diced, cooked, and seasoned according to taste
(I prefer to use chicken thighs on pizza since they are more moist and tend to not get dried out during cooking at high temperatures)

oven-dried tomatoes (1 pint before drying)

1 c. mozzarella cheese (optional)

Sprinkle cornmeal over pizza stone or pan. Roll out pizza dough and place on pan. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with Italian seasoning. Sprinkle spinach over crust and press into dough. Top with chicken, tomatoes, feta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. (Note: this is optional but I like to add it simply because it holds everything in place and makes the pizza easier to eat.) Bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes.

Important: The tomatoes tend to scorch at such a high temperature (you can see some of mine are a bit scorched in the photo). The pan should be placed low enough in the oven to avoid this. Check the pizza periodically throughout the 10 minutes and if tomatoes are starting to burn, lower the pan.

**You can make this pizza "lighter" by halving the crust recipe and making the crust half as thin. You will just need to reduce the baking time accordingly.

Bean Dip Pasta

I stole this recipe from Laura, but since she hasn't posted it yet I thought I should share the goodness. This recipe is delicious, very filling, and tastes much better than it looks (I tried and tried to get a good picture, but this is the best I could get).

Ingredients:

1 bag of your favorite pasta (I use Penne)

1 can chili

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can stewed tomatoes - drained

1 can olives - sliced

1/2 block cream cheese

Diced cooked chicken - I usually put in 2 breasts (optional)

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain. Add all ingredients to hot pasta and stir together. Cook on low for a few minutes to make sure the cream cheese melts in and everything is warm all the way through.