Pam's Purple Onion

Here are a few recipes that we have had lately. This week was a detox though, so it was veggie soup and roasted carrots and squash and salads. Can't wait for Friday :) I miss the cooking more then the eating. 

Enjoy!

Romano Bean Salad

Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh romano or green beans, trimmed

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 fresh mint leaves, torn

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add beans and cook uncovered until nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Smash garlic, olive oil, mint, and salt using mortar and pestle.
3. Pour vinegar and half of olive oil mixture over beans and toss well.
4. Transfer beans to a resealable freezer bag. Pour remaining olive oil mixture into bag, squeeze out all air, seal and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
5. Remove beans from refrigerator, top with fresh mint and serve

** You can serve the beans right away also. If you refrigerate it gives the beans more of a marinated/pickled flavor.

Cinnamon Sugar Pillow Cookies
 

Yes!!! A cookie that is healthy. These are heaven.

(makes 11-13 stuffed cookies)

• 3/4 cup (not packed) whole-wheat pastry flour (or spelt flour, or all-purpose. Readers say you can use a gf all-purpose mix if you add extra liquid so it’s not crumbly.)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup xylitol or sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp milk of choice
• 3 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil
• a bowl of equal parts cinnamon and xylitol or sugar for rolling (Omit if desired.)
• filling ingredients listed below

For the filling (which you can omit completely if you want regular, non-stuffed cookies): combine 2 tsp powdered sugar or Sugar-Free Powdered Sugar with 2 tablespoons cream cheese-style spread (I used Tofutti non-hydrogenated, but I’m sure other full-fat brands such as Follow Your Heart or Trader Joes would be fine.) Beat well, then set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine first five ingredients and stir very well. In a separate bowl, combine all liquid ingredients and stir. Pour wet into dry and stir to form a cookie dough. Smush into a giant ball with your hands (or, as an easier trick: transfer dough to a plastic bag and smush into a ball once the dough is inside the bag).
Now roll into 22-26 mini cookie dough balls, then flatten each and divide the filling among only half of the flat discs. Place the other discs on top, cinch the sides, then roll into balls. Roll the balls in the bowl of cinnamon-sugar, place on a baking tray, and chill for at least 30 minutes. (If you desire crispy cookies, you can skip this chilling step.)
Preheat oven to 325, and cook 11 minutes- they’ll still look a little underdone, but that’s okay. Important: allow cookies to cool at least 10 minutes before trying to remove from tray. For step-by-step photos, substitution notes, and troubleshooting, see the nutrition link below:

Crazy-Good Ranch Dressing

From chocolatecoveredKatie.com

• 12 oz (1 package) silken-firm or lite silken-firm tofu (such as Mori-Nu)
• 3/4 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder
• 1 tsp dry dill
• 1/3 cup water, or more or less depending on desired thickness (I use 100g)
• scant 2 tbsp apple-cider vinegar
• 1 and 1/2 vegetable broth cubes (I use Rapunzel brand. You can use more or less, depending on desired saltiness.)
• 2 tbsp low-fat Veganaise (or regular) (If you leave this out, you’ll still have a nice dressing, but it won’t be nearly as yummy!)

Combine all ingredients, and blend until creamy. (I use a Magic Bullet.)

Cauliflower Bites with Cheddar Mustard Dipping Sauce

From Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

I am not a fan of mustard, but this was good. I love using cauliflower for so many substitutes.

Ingredients

non-stick cooking spray

5 cups fresh cauliflower florets with an inch of stalk

1/2 cup panko crumbs

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

sea salt and fresh black pepper

4 egg whites

2 tablespoons Saucy Mama Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons water

5 cups fresh cauliflower florets

Sauce:

1/2 cup skim milk

3 tablespoons Saucy Mama Smoky Garlic mustard or Chipotle mustard

1 teaspoon whole wheat flour

4 ounces 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

From Shape

 

Red Pepper Bisque

Crunchy, sweet bell peppers and crisp yellow onions are liquefied into a brilliantly colored puree. Love this soup. Great with a nice green salad.

Ingredients:
1 c. yellow onions
2 tbsp. garlic, chopped
24 oz. vegetable stock
3 c. red bell peppers
1/4 c. basil, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
In a pot, saute sliced onions and chopped garlic until soft. Add vegetable stock and roasted bell peppers. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Season soup with salt and pepper. Fill a blender half full, and blend until smooth. Repeat blending until all soup is blended. Reheat soup and serve hot.
You can garnish with sprigs of thyme and good olive oil.
Makes 6 servings.