Cream of Mushroom Soup

This can be served alone or you can use it in replace of canned cream of mushroom soup in any recipe. This recipe makes a large enough batch that often at least 1/2 can be saved for future use. It also freezes well. Fantastic recipe.

3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (any kind), cleaned and chopped very fine
1/2 cup onion, diced
3 tablespoons white wine
5 tablespoons of whole wheat flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme)
4 1/2 cups organic chicken stock or vegetable stock
1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (plain yogurt works well as a substitute)
1/2 teaspoon salt (if needed)

Heat the olive oil and butter in a soup pot over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are wilted (about 5 minutes). Stir together white wine, flour, thyme, stock, sea salt and black pepper. Add to mushroom mixture. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in the heavy cream and add more salt to taste. Enjoy!

Ultimate Breakfast Biscuit

These will get gobbled up. They are packed with protein, healthy fats and very little sweetener.

1 cup whole grain spelt flour
1 cup almond flour (I ground up 1 cup of almonds in a food processor)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup organic dark chocolate chips
4 tablespoons organic agave sweetener or honey
6 tablespoons apple sauce
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choose)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup berries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine dry ingredients, including chocolate chips in a bowl and stir well. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl and combine well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Spoon a rounded 1/4 cup of batter onto baking sheet and press berries into the top (I will add more next time, two on top were not enough). You'll need to leave about 2 inches in between each biscuit. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Allow to coll for a few minutes then place on a wire rack to cool further. These are best eaten fresh, otherwise store in air tight container and chill. Warm gently in oven to refresh. Enjoy!

Baked Tofu Bites with Dipping Sauce

These make a delicious lunch or snack. They are also wonderful tossed onto a salad!

Tofu:
1 - 16oz package organic non-gmo extra firm tofu
olive oil for drizzling
salt and pepper to taste

Dipping Sauce (optional):
3 tablespoons tamari, soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Chop the tofu into 1 inch squares and place them in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the tofu and gently mix. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and gently mix again. Place squares of tofu on baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, flip tofu over and bake for 15 more minutes (a total of 30 minutes). Mix ingredients for the dipping sauce. When tofu comes out of the oven you can dip the pieces in the sauce and eat or toss them on top of a salad. Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal

You will never need another baked oatmeal recipe again! This is packed with whole grain extra thick oats, all kinds of fruit, protein (egg, nuts and milk of your choose) and the wonderful unrefined sweetener maple syrup.

1 cup extra thick rolled oats (gluten-free if need)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted, divided
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/8 - 1/4 cup maple syrup (Depending on the sweetness you like.)
1 cup organic whole milk (or any other milk you use)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 cup blueberries or raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir with a fork to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter and vanilla. Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 20-30 minutes (mine always takes around 20 minutes), until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. You may enjoy drizzling milk of your choose over the warm oatmeal. Enjoy!

Homemade Goldfish Crackers

We made bear shaped. These are a fun cracker for kids to make from start to finish. I was ready to take the quick route and cut the cookies all into strips and then squares, but luckily my girls jumped in and took over and cut each little bear out one-by-one. This was our first time making these and they make a yummy snack!

8 ounces, weight sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
4 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes (next batch I want to try 2 tablespoons coconut butter and 2 tablespoons butter)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (next batch I want to try whole grain spelt flour)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold water

Pulse everything (except the water) together in the food processor until the dough resembles coarse sand (we used our very clean hands). Pulse in water, 1 tablespoon at a time (we again used our hands). The dough will be crumbly. Don't add extra water. Just keep working the dough until it sticks together. You may want to wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator to make the dough easier to work with. Roll out the dough and cut into desired shapes. We really had to work the dough with our hands to flatten and make it stick together. You can use a toothpick to make the eyes and a smile if desired. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until crispy. Makes approximately 6 dozen crackers. Enjoy!

Caprese Skewers

2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly torn
olive oil for drizzling
balsamic vinegar for drizzling
skewers

Begin with a fresh basil leaf, spear the basil followed by a cherry tomato and mozzarella cheese piece, as desired. Repeat with each additional skewer. Generously drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the skewers. Enjoy!

Peaches 'N' Cream

Amazingly refreshing and guilt free!! This is so very, very good.

Complements: Diet for a New World

6 ripe peaches, stones removed and sliced into thin wedges
2 cups raspberries, blueberries, strawberries or other berries in season (optional)
1 cup raw almonds
3/4 cup almond milk or other milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup raw almonds, toasted and slivered or chopped

In individual goblets, layer the peaches and berries. For the almond cream: blanch the almonds in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and plunge the almonds into cold water. Drain, and squeeze the almonds between your fingertips to remove the skins. Compost or discard the skins. Put the almonds, almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour the almond cream over the tops of the fruit and sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Chill until ready to serve, up to 3 hours. Enjoy!