Lentil & Rice Salad

A sister in our ward brought this to a potluck and it was delicious!  Wonderfully filling - garlicky and fresh tasting.

 1 1/2 cups lentils (cooked)

 1 1/2 cups rice (cooked)

 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Pinch of basil

 Juice of one lime

2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook lentils according to package. Set aside to cool.
Cook rice according to package. Set aside to cool.
When cool, combine lentils, rice and remaining ingredients in bowl. Toss gently.
Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon Candied Cucumbers

My mom just came for a visit and brought me the tastiest cucumbers ever!  This is the genius solution to those overgrown cucumbers that you miss on the plant until they're too bitter to eat.  It takes a couple of days to make them because you have to soak them in pickling lime before candying them, but I think it was worth the effort - you end up with deliciously crunchy, sweet cucumber rings!

You can find the recipe here.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Custard

Whenever I make this, my kids think it's a special occasion.  They are thrilled that they get to eat "dessert" with dinner, so I forget to tell them that it's good for them too.

Custard:

1 cup cooked sweet potatoes, mashed

1/2 cup mashed banana

1 cup evaporated milk or buttermilk

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

1/4 cup raisins

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients for custard in blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into greased muffin tins (we use silicone muffin cups for easier cleanup) and sprinkle tops with raisins and cinnamon sugar.  Bake at 300 for 45-50 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean and custard starts to pull away from edge of muffin cups.

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

This recipe was inspired by one I found on Pinch of Yum.  I love Alfredo Sauce, but it is so rich that I am never able to eat very much of it.  This recipe has all the flavor but feels a lot lighter, so it's easier to eat and enjoy.  My kids say it smells funny (probably the cauliflower), but they all agree that it tastes great!

1/2 head cauliflower
1/2 to 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoons butter
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Steam cauliflower until completely tender.  Place in blender with milk and 1/2 cup broth.  Blend until smooth, adding more broth as needed.  Add salt, butter, Parmesan and garlic and blend to mix well.  (You can also add a couple of handfuls of spinach at this point to make a green alfredo sauce!)  Toss with pasta, veggies, or rice and sprinkle with mozzarella or parmesan to taste.

Lentil Sloppy Joes

I adapted this recipe from one I found on Chocolate Covered Katie.  My kids love it and I think it tastes so much better than regular sloppy joes!

1/2 onion, diced
3 cups cooked lentils
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 stevia packets, or 2 tsp sugar
14 oz tomato sauce
up to 1 cup water
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce

Sauté the onion and garlic in oil until onion is translucent. Add lentils and spices, stir, then add all other ingredients and cook uncovered (stirring occasionally) until thick like sloppy joe filling.  Makes about 5 cups.  Serve on rolls with spinach, tomatoes, cheese, and whatever else you like!

Pakora Batter

We don't eat much fried food at this house - but every now and then tradition or desperation will call for it (besides it's kind of fun!).  This time desperation took over when I bought cauliflower, forgetting that my oven died back in March.  I love roasted cauliflower, but really can't stand it raw or boiled or sauteed - but... no oven = no roasting.  So I searched the internet for ideas and came up with Pakora - basically the Indian version of tempura vegetables.  We used bell peppers, onions, and of course cauliflower.  Everything tasted great, but the onion rings were the best!  In fact, this is the breading I'm going to use anytime I feel the urge to make onion rings (so maybe twice a year at best, but still...)

1 cup chickpea flour

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

Heat oil to 375 in a deep pot (you'll want it to be 1 - 1 1/2 deep).  Sift all ingredients together.  Add two cloves crushed garlic and stir well.  Gradually add 3/4 cup water while stirring until a thick batter is formed.  Coat veggies with batter and drop into hot oil.  Let cook about 4-5 minutes until golden brown.  Remove to paper towels to drain excess oil.  Enjoy!

Best Stain Remover. Ever.

Living in Austin, it is inevitable that you will slowly become more green - there's just an aura of environmental awareness that is hard to ignore. We've now been living here 10 years and I find myself using cloth diapers, hanging my laundry out to dry, and I don't even remember the last time I bought paper towels or paper napkins - we've slowly migrated to cloth over the last 8 years or so.

That being said, as I run out of cleaning supplies I find myself searching for alternatives to the chemical filled storebought options. There are a ton of homemade recipes to be found on the internet, some working better than others. So when I find one that works amazingly well I feel I should share! This stain remover is one of the best I have ever used. It even gets out grass and berry stains! When I have a straight oil stain, I use just the Dawn, but everything else gets this treatment:

1/3 cup Dawn dish soap (I use the DawnOxi)
1/3 cup ammonia
3 Tablespoon baking soda
1 cup water

Mix all ingredients together and store in an empty spray bottle. Spray onto stains and rub in with an old toothbrush. Throw in the laundry basket until you're ready to wash!