BEETS SAUTEED IN BUTTER

 1 bunch of beets, trimmed and peeled

1 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup water

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Shred beets (in food processor).  Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add shredded beets.  Cook and stir until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.  Add water, cover.  Simmer until beets are completely soft, about 10 minutes.  Stir in balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Beets

 INGREDIENTS

3 beets, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp honey 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Grease a large baking sheet, set aside.  Peel and cut beets into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss beets with olive oil and salt. Spread on baking sheet.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until beets are soft to touch, stirring once halfway through.  Mix vinegar and honey and drizzle over beets, stirring to coat well.  Return to oven for 10 more minutes, stirring once halfway through.  Remove and serve warm or cool for storage.

 TIPS ON GOOD NUTRITION/GOOD HEALTH

Vinegar:  Adding a bit of vinegar to your high-carb meal of pasta, potatoes, or bread can slow down the usual glucose spike and keep you feeling full longer, which can cut down the amount of calories you might consume the rest of the day. A savings of just 200 calories a day can add up to over 20 pounds lost in a year. :)

Vitamin A:  Beta-carotene (a.k.a. vitamin A) is good for us in many ways, but to get the best absorption of beta carotene from the foods we eat, foods like tomatoes or broccoli, just add a drizzle of monounsaturated fat (like olive oil).

Iron:  Great source of energy, but a bit hard to absorb from our food.  Add something rich in vitamin C to your iron-rich food to help with absorption; for instance, adding red peppers to a plate of pasta. 

More on iron:  Some foods block absorption of iron.  Example is the cheese on a hamburger.  To get the most iron from the beef, leave off the cheese.

Rice for protein:  Red meat and poultry are good sources of protein, but they also bring along saturated fats.  A good plant source for protein is rice, but it needs a little help from something like peas to make it a complete protein. 

 Jo's Veggie Burgers

Cook 1/2 cup quinoa in 1 cup water.

Cook 1 medium peeled and diced sweet potato.

Cool both.

Fry 1/2 cup chopped red pepper in oil of choice for 5 minutes.

Mix all 3 together.

Add:

 6 Tb ground flaxseed meal

1 tsp. coconut oil

1/2 tsp pink salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne (optional) 

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp dried chives

2 beaten eggs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Shape into 4 patties and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake 10 minutes, flip and bake for 10 minutes more.

Thank you, Jo B.

 VEGETABLE AND STUFFING BAKE
(from Miracle Whip label)

3/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup milk

1 pkg (6 oz) stuffing mix

1 pkg (16 oz) frozen broccoli cuts or vegetable blend with broccoli, thawed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix dressing, milk and contents of vegetable seasoning packet from stuffing mix (if applicable).

Stir in stuffing crumbs, vegetables and cheese, toss to coat.  Spoon into 11/7 inch baking pan.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.  

Makes 6 servings.

ENCHILADAS DE LA HUERTA!!

Went to San Antonio to visit friends. Had a lovely Sunday lunch in a local restaurant with patio under the oaks - wonderful weather that day. Best of all, I tried the enchiladas de la huerta and they were a revelation!! Okay, that phrase means 'enchiladas from the vegetable plot.' So, veggie enchiladas. (You expected something else? 😁 )

So, home we went and a couple days later, I tried my hand at making veggie 'chiladas.  They turned out great!   Here is what I did.

Dice all:

2 chayote squash - peeled, seeded

1 zucchini - ends removed

1 or 2 bell peppers - seeded 

1 medium onion

3 or 4 large ball radishes - tips removed

1 can red enchilada sauce

1 dozen uncooked corn tortillas.

Shredded cheese for topping

Saute veggies with a bit of oil (I used canola) until soft.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a baking dish or shallow pan, assemble the enchiladas:

Using a small spoon apply sauce to bottom of pan.

Place a small amount of sauce on a tortilla, then a larger spoonful of veggie filling in center of tortilla.  Roll gently together and place in pan with edge down to hold the roll closed.  Spread a small amount of sauce on the top of roll using the spoon.  

Continue until pan is filled with enchiladas.  Spread another layer of sauce over the top of the enchiladas. 

Cover with foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, then remove foil and add shredded cheese.  Continue to bake until cheese is melted and turning a bit brown.  Remove from oven to cooling rack.  Serve.

Roasted Carrot Hummus

New Recipe - by Ve 

Ingredients
3 large carrots with ends removed
1 medium eggplant
1 can chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic powder or to taste.
Salt to taste.

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
Drizzle 1 Tbsp of oil on flat pan and roll carrots to coat.  Roast until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. I usually keep them covered until they just begin to get tender, then uncover for a roasted flavor.  When done, remove from oven and from pan.  
Using same pan, remove top from eggplant, slice in half lengthwise, and place cut side down on pan.  Roast until well done, when eggplant looks collapsed and is puckered.  

In food processor, place drained chickpeas and 2 Tbsp of lemon juice; process until smooth.  Add tiny amounts of reserved chickpea liquid as needed to keep the mash moving.  Mash should have a thick paste consistency.  Remove chickpea mash to large mixing bowl.
Add carrots to processor and process until smooth.  Remove to mixing bowl.  
Scoop pulp of eggplant out of skin, discard skin.  Add eggplant pulp to food processor and process until smooth.  Add to chickpea/carrot mix.  
To the mash mixture, add cumin, turmeric, and garlic and remaining 2 Tbsp of oil.  Stir until well mixed, adding salt to taste.

Tip:  Vegetables may be roasted the day before, cooled completely, and refrigerated until ready to use.

This recipe makes approximately 3 cups of hummus.