Bev's Recipe Collection

Butternut squash adds a sweet twist to this classic Mediterranean dip.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pureed cooked butternut squash*
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 Tbs tahini (optional)
• 1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cloves minced garlic

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve fresh or refrigerate. If the hummus gets dry, you can drizzle olive oil over the hummus to moisten it. Serve with bread (preferably pita bread or flat bread).

Makes about 2 1/2 cups of hummus

*Here is a helpful tutorial on how to peel, cut, and cook butternut squash. (I like to drizzle olive oil over the chopped squash and sprinkle it with salt and pepper and mix it with my hands before cooking.) The cooked squash can easily be pureed in a food processor. You will only need a small amount of it for this recipe, so feel free to experiment with the rest of the squash or serve it as a side dish.

From Blog of Joy

• 8 boneless chicken thighs, skins removed
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken tenders
• 4 t Cajun seasoning
• 1 1/2 t salt
• olive oil
• 32 oz. chicken broth
• 3 C uncooked brown rice
• 2 green peppers, coarsely chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 C finely chopped green onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t dried thyme
• 1/2 t ground turmeric

Mix the Cajun seasoning and salt in a bowl. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip one side of the chicken and place into the oil skillet; cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

Add chicken broth to skillet. Bring to a boil, scraping brown bits from the bottom of skillet. Pour into a greased roasting pan. Add rice and spices. Stir well. Spread peppers and onions on top. Place browned chicken on top of that. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 80 minutes.

adapted from Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes

Cookie Dough:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil (or 1 stick of butter)
• 1/2 cup honey granules (or sugar)
• 1/4 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour (could try almond flour)
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut

With a mixer, cream the coconut oil, honey granules, sucanat, egg, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, flax seed, baking soda, and salt. Gradually blend the flour mixture into the wet mixture until combined. Mix in the coconut. Drop cookie dough by heaping teaspoons onto baking sheets. Make sure to place the cookies about 2″ apart, since they will spread quite a bit while baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden. Let the cookies stay on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Chocolate Drizzle: 

• 1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
• 1 Tbs coconut oil

Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a saucepan on low heat, stirring until smooth. Arrange the cookies on a tray and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Place the tray in the freezer for a few minutes until the chocolate hardens. Once hardened, store the cookies in a container in the refrigerator so that the chocolate stays firm.

Chocolate Coating: (For a thicker topping)

• 3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)

Melt the chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Place a small dollop of chocolate in the center of each cookie and spread into a circle in the middle of the cookie. Arrange cookies on a tray and place in the freezer for a few minutes until chocolate is hardened. Store in a container at room temperature.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

From www.blogofjoy.com

10 cups chicken broth
2 cups (uncooked) basmati or jasmine rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic (about 1 teaspoon)
1 large onion, diced
4 celery ribs, diced
6 carrots, diced

1 T salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh)
4 cups cooked cubed chicken*

Instructions:
1. In a large stock pot, combine the broth, rice, butter, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, pepper, salt, rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. When soup starts boiling, stir once and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for at least 45 minutes. Check to see how tender the rice is after 45 minutes (for brown rice), and cook 10-15 minutes longer if needed.
3. Add chicken meat, stirring gently. Heat on low for 10 minutes or until soup is heated through. Enjoy!

*If you wish to start with fresh chicken, use about a pound of meat, cut into cubes, and add with the veggies (step 1).

I prefer to saute the onion in the olive oil, adding the garlic halfway through. Then I place all of the ingredients (except the rice) into a roaster for 4 hours at 225 degrees. I add the rice for the last hour.

• 8 boneless skinless chicken breast (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
• garlic salt (or garlic and salt)
• lemon pepper seasoning
• 20 cups yellow squash (or zucchini), sliced 1/4″ thick (cut large slices in half as well)
• 3 T olive oil
• 12 oz fresh spinach
• shredded cheddar cheese

Place chicken in two 9″ x 13″ baking dishes lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the chicken liberally with garlic salt and lemon pepper. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

After the chicken has been cooking for about 30 minutes, heat olive oil in a large pan. Saute the squash (or zucchini) until tender. Add the spinach. Cook just until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.

Once the chicken is done cooking, take it out of the oven and top with the warm squash and spinach.  Sprinkle with cheese. Broil for 5 minutes to melt the cheese, then serve.

Great with Greek potatoes.

recipe from Tammy’s Recipes

These are a big hit!

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup (2¾ oz.) almond flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 6 oz. chocolate chips
• ½ cup (4 oz.) coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey granules (or sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup peanuts
• 5 oz. chocolate chips
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cups puffed rice cereal

Instructions:

1. Line a 8″ x 8″ pan with parchment paper and then lightly grease.
2. Whisk together the almond flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
3. In a pan on medium-low heat, warm the chocolate chips and coconut oil until melted; whisk in the honey granules.
4. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk to combine (the mixture should be close to room temperature).
5. Fold in the flour mixture until just a bit of the flour is still visible.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake at 350 for 23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs still attached. (The bars will firm up as they cool.)
7. Sprinkle with peanuts.
8. After taking the brownies out of the oven, melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; stir in the puffed rice cereal until coated.
9. Spread the topping evenly over the bars.
10. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving. Store in refrigerator. Enjoy! 🙂

Recipe from Bakerita

• 2 15 oz. cans chickpeas
• 10 T cocoa powder
• 2 T vanilla
• sprinkle of salt
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup almond milk

Blend in food processor and refrigerate before serving.

usatoday.com

A delicious and refreshing treat!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 orange, peeled and segmented

Directions:

Arrange the orange segments on a parchment covered dish. Place in the freezer for a few minutes. Meanwhile melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Roll each orange segment in the melted chocolate until coated and place back on the parchment paper covered dish. You may need to melt more chocolate chips and coconut oil depending on the size of the orange and how thickly you coat the segments. Place back in the freezer uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the chocolate is hardened. Serve. Store leftovers (if there are any!) in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

From Blog of Joy

Salad:

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 4 cups roughly chopped cabbage
• 3 cups shredded carrots
• 3 cups shredded papaya
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
• 5 green onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
• 1 cup chopped peanuts

Dressing:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
• 2 Tbs lime juice
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

Combine the salad ingredients except for the chopped peanuts in a large bowl.Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve fresh or chilled.

Adapted from www.pinchofyum.com

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup raw almond butter
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey granules (or sugar)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. (You may need to allow the dough to chill first for a little bit for the dough to be easier to work with). Shape into 3/4″balls and place on trays, flattening the dough till it’s about 1/4″ thick. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, until set.Remove from trays. Eat fresh or cooled. These store well in the freezer for extra crunch.

Recipe adapted from Veggie Inspired