Monica's Recipes Archives - Page 11 of 19 - Towers Family Chiropractor

Sesame Greens

October 26, 2017 by towers

Don’t forget to make good use of sesame seeds! Their distinct flavor is perfect for some recipes (see gluten-free pizza). In this recipe besides adding flavor, sesame adds a nice crunch to tender greens.

The more fibrous leafy greens (kale, collards) are best steamed until just tender and then served immediately with whatever oil or seasoning you choose. This recipe demonstrates one way to succeed in cooking greens. There seems to be confusion about how to enjoy these super-nutritious vegetables. Some say to throw them in a smoothie to get it over with and not have to taste them–YUCK. This is not a good idea as cruciferous vegetables are better digested when cooked appropriately.
Others overcook these greens into a drab-green mess. No wonder many people have childhood memories of hating them! I’ve even been served (in a local deli) kale that someone managed to burn into a black crisp which somehow remained undercooked. Here’s a way forward.

Serves 4

4 cups collard greens, chopped fine (1/4 inch strips)
1/4 cup hulled, raw sesame seeds
1 Tbsp ghee
1 Tbsp cold-pressed sesame oil (optional–just use 2 Tbsp. of ghee)
2 large cloves garlic
sea salt and black pepper to taste

First, dry roast the sesame seeds. Place them in a skillet and heat over medium heat while stirring until they are golden brown–this just takes about 5 minutes. Be prepared to pour them into a bowl quickly because they can burn faster than you think. Set aside.

Now put the chopped collards in a vegetable steamer over boiling water. Cover with the lid cracked and turn the heat down enough to just keep them steaming. Give them a stir once or twice and taste for tenderness. Keep an eye on them! Younger greens will cook more quickly than bigger leaves that are more fibrous. As soon as they are tender (usually 4-10 minutes) remove them from the steamer to stop them from cooking further. Set aside but keep them covered–it’s okay if they cool down a little for a few minutes.

Now heat the ghee and oil in a skillet over medium heat. As soon as the ghee melts, crush the garlic cloves with a garlic press into the warm oil–don’t overheat the oil because garlic can sizzle and then burn quickly. Add the sesame seeds and stir well. Let this mixture heat for a minute or two while stirring and then add the greens. Stir well for a minute or two just to evenly heat the greens. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately.

Coconut Pie Crust

September 29, 2017 by towers

The holiday season is around the corner so this is a good time to practice making healthy pie crusts. This gluten-free pie crust may substitute for regular pie shells in pumpkin, key lime, and lemon meringue pies. No need to roll out either–just press into the pie pan. Consider using this recipe for the pumpkin or Key Lime pies I posted earlier. You will need a food processor.

I used sugar, coconut milk and tapioca starch when I made the recipe but arrowroot could be substituted for tapioca starch. If you use honey instead of sugar, you will likely need less water or coconut milk to form a non-crumbly pie dough so be careful as you may not need to add the liquid!

1 Pie Shell

2 cups shredded coconut

1 Tbsp. honey or organic sugar

4 Tbsp. melted butter or ghee or coconut oil

5 Tbsp. tapioca flour

1 egg yolk

1-3 tsp. water or coconut milk

1 tsp. lemon or lime or a combination of lemon/lime zest

Place all dry ingredients into the processor and process until mixed well. Add melted butter and process again. Add rest of ingredients except the water or coconut milk. Process until well blended. If dough is not cohesive, add the water or coconut milk 1 tsp. at a time, processing after each addition. Add liquid 1 tsp. at a time processing after each addition until a dough that holds its shape well when compressed is formed–dough should not be sticky. Transfer dough to a 9 or 10-inch pie pan. Press dough into pie pan so that it is evenly thick throughout bottom and sides. Prick the bottom with a fork so it doesn’t form an air pocket. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden.

Turkey Burgers

September 5, 2017 by towers

Here’s a recipe for basic burgers made with ground meat but with other good things added. I like to “cut” meat with veggies, and if it is ground meat with ground nuts also. Whenever you can add vegetables to your dishes do so–people just do not eat enough vegetables. Make enough for leftovers–they are great with a salad the next day.

6 burgers

12 ounces ground organic turkey or beef

1 large onion, chopped fine, about 1 cup

1/2 cup finely minced fresh parsley

1/2 cup ground walnuts or sunflower seeds

1/2 tsp. ground clove

1 tsp. dried basil

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil

salt and black pepper as desired

Saute onion in 1 Tbsp. oil. Place all ingredients including the sauteed onion in a bowl and mix well. Form into patties. Brown in a skillet with remaining oil on both sides until cooked through. Serve with mustard or ketchup.

Pesto Eggs

September 5, 2017 by towers

At this time of year gardeners have lots of sweet basil on hand. My favorite use for basil is pesto. I’ve posted a recipe for pesto previously but here’s a reminder recipe. Don’t forget that it is easy to freeze the pesto in small containers for ready use as a topping on vegetables, eggs, fish, and pizza during the winter season. I’ve even served millet grits with pesto. Yes, I really like the pesto recipe!

4 hard-boiled eggs from pasture-raised chickens

1 cup pesto

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Peel the eggs. Rinse them off and cut in half lengthwise. Place on a dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle pesto on top. Serve with a salad for a light lunch or dinner.

Fish Cakes

August 11, 2017 by towers

Fish cakes are easy, delicious and a great way to have leftover fish. It is easy to make them gluten-free–you don’t need bread crumbs. Flounder, cod, halibut, turbot–generally, the milder tasting white varieties–work in this recipe. Have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Makes 4 cakes serving 2

1 cup of mashed leftover fish

1/2 cup ground walnuts, or sunflower seeds if allergic to nuts

2 Tbsp. arrowroot or tapioca flour

1 cup chopped onions

1 egg, beaten

1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp.olive oil or coconut oil

Saute onion in 1 Tbsp. of oil in a skillet over medium heat until soft and lightly browned. In a bowl mix together well the fish, ground nuts or seeds, flour, egg and salt. Add the sauteed onion to this mixture and mix again. Form 4 patties (I use a spoon). Clean the skillet and then heat the rest of the oil in it over medium heat. As soon as oil is hot (not burning or smoking!) drop in the patties and brown about 4-5 minutes on each side. Serve immediately.

Cucumber Smoothie

July 10, 2017 by towers

Smoothies are usually sweet but they can be refreshing and light without being sweet which is especially appealing in the summer months. We have an abundance of cucumber from our garden now so I am being creative with them. We add them to our vegetable juice and I will make some pickles but this smoothie is quick and makes a good light breakfast.

1/2 of a med-large cucumber chopped in large pieces

1/2 of an avocado

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 Tbsp. Great Lakes Collagen powder (optional)

Place cucumber in a blender and blend until pulverized and liquified. Add other ingredients and blend again. Drink immediately.

Summer Cultured Vegetables

July 10, 2017 by towers

I hope you are enjoying the season with lots of fresh local produce available whether from your garden or the farmer’s market. Just wanted to share a trick I’ve learned regarding culturing/fermenting vegetables. I don’t know about your house but ours is warmer than 60-70 degrees F. Vegetables need a temperature in that range to ferment–if it gets hotter they tend to go bad. So if you have had this problem in the summer, use a cooler to cool down the veggies. I just made 2 batches of Chinese cabbage sauerkraut (simple ingredients: Chinese cabbage, garlic, fresh dill weed, and salt). See my recipes here, here, and here for other combinations. I kept my cooler in the kitchen for easy access (remember you have to press out the gas bubbles once a day) and used 1 ice pack replaced with a cold one twice a day and it worked beautifully. In one week I had well-fermented kraut with no mold.

Keep on having fun in your kitchen!

GF Corn Tortillas

May 16, 2017 by towers

These are a treat–they are so much better than the ones you buy that it is worth taking the time to make them once in a while. Serve them as you make them as they are best right out of the skillet. I use organic yellow masa harina flour (Gold Mine brand) that I purchase online. (Follow the link to learn more about this special type of corn flour.) Serve with refried beans or soup or guacamole.

Serves 2 (4 six-inch tortillas)

1 cup masa harina flour plus some for rolling out dough
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup boiling water, just enough to form a soft dough

Place flour in a bowl and add salt. Stir. Pour in boiling water a little at a time while mixing. Add enough water that a soft dough forms into a ball as you stir–dough should not be dry or crumbly. If your dough is sticky you added too much water and need to add a little more flour until you have a soft, easily shaped dough that doesn’t stick to your hands when you handle it. Separate into 4 equal-sized pieces and form each into a round smooth ball. Using a rolling pin and a little flour to prevent the dough from sticking to your counter top (or pastry board), sprinkle a Tbsp. of flour over your work surface. Flatten a dough ball and sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough. Now use the rolling pin to roll out. Flip and sprinkle with a little more flour each time you roll the dough. This will keep it from sticking to your surface. Turn the tortilla as you roll the dough so that you get a round tortilla that is about 1/8-inch thick. Roll out the remaining balls. Now heat a skillet (at least 8 inches in diameter) over medium heat. When skillet is hot, place a tortilla in the skillet (no need to add any oil). Let cook about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm in a towel as you proceed to cook all your tortillas. Serve immediately.

Butterscotch Pudding

April 17, 2017 by towers

No cooking required with this one. Just a few ingredients and a blender will do it. I use an immersion blender and blend this in a quart-sized wide-mouth glass jar. Serve with fresh berries or chopped fruit for a simple dessert.

Serves 4

2 Tbsp. ghee, melted

2 ripe bananas

1 tsp. vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a bowl or wide-mouth mason jar. Blend well with immersion blender. Serve over berries or fruit.

Chickpeas and Vegetables

March 6, 2017 by towers

This is another quick meal to remember when you’re short of time. I like to cook a big pot of chickpeas and freeze most of them in pint-sized containers that are easy to thaw with cooking as this dish demonstrates. Sure, you can use canned chickpeas but best to avoid canned food whenever you can, and it’s cheaper to cook them yourself. Last night we had this dish served with steamed kale but it could be served with brown rice as well if you would like more calories from carbohydrates at your meal.

2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. ghee or olive oil

2 tsp. cumin powder

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 carrot, chopped fine

1 medium zucchini, chopped.

1 Tbsp. tamari

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Saute onions in melted ghee in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. When onions are translucent add cumin and stir. Add carrot and broth and stir well. Add chickpeas. If the chickpeas are frozen, cover the skillet and lower the heat and cook until the chickpeas are no longer frozen together–this may take 10-15 minutes but stir a few times flipping the clump of chickpeas to get them heated evenly. The carrots should be tender by the time the chickpeas are loose and heated through. Stir well and add zucchini. Bring to a simmer again and stir a few times cooking over low heat until the zucchini is just tender. Add tamari and salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately over brown rice or with steamed kale.

« Previous Page

Sesame Greens

Coconut Pie Crust

Turkey Burgers

Pesto Eggs

Fish Cakes

Cucumber Smoothie

Summer Cultured Vegetables

GF Corn Tortillas

Butterscotch Pudding

Chickpeas and Vegetables

Good Nutrition

Warming Broth for a Cold

Children’s Adjustments

Children with back pain

Towers Family Chiropractic