Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple and Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil 
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
4 cups vegetable broth

Directions: 

1. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
4. Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish.*

Nutrition Information (8 oz. serving): 110 calories, 4 g protein, 1 g fat, 5 g fiber
Nutritional Information (12 oz. serving): 220 calories, 9 g protein, 3 g fat, 5 g fiber

Fermented Strawberry Jam

Cooked jam is thickened with lots of sugar and pectin, but this raw jam is thickened using chia seeds, which happen to have additional health benefits. It’s not as thick as cooked jam, but at least it won’t run all over your toast.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh strawberries
• 1/3 cup whey (strained from kefir)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 6 tablespoons chia seeds

Directions:

1. Clean and cut the strawberries into large chunks.
2. Place all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until a desired consistency is reached.
3. Pour the jam into the jars, making sure to leave at least an inch between the jam and the top of the jar.
4. Seal the jars and place them in a pantry or cupboard (out of direct sunlight and at room temperature) for 2 days.
5. After 2 days, store the jam in the fridge. It’ll last a couple months. The extra jars can be put in the freezer.

Important Tips

• If you don’t like the look of the chia seeds speckling the jam, you can always grind them up in a coffee grinder or spice mill before adding them to the other ingredients.
• If there is any white scum on the top of the jam after the 2 day ferment…don’t worry. It won’t hurt you. Just skim it off or mix it in.
• You don’t have to make just strawberry. Any two pounds of fruit can be used in this recipe. I have found Kiwi to be especially good.

Edna Mae’s Sour Cream Pancakes

From The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 7 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Butter, For Frying And Serving
• Warm Syrup, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream with the dry ingredients until just barely combined (don't overmix.) Whisk in the egg mixture until just combined.

Heat a griddle over medium-low heat and melt some butter in the pan. Drop batter by 1/4 cup servings onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles start to form on the surface and edges are starting to brown. Flip to the other side and cook for another minute. (Pancakes will be a little on the soft side.)

Serve with softened butter and syrup.

Pumpkin Butter

Blend and simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently:

   1 large can pumpkin (or 3.5 cups cooked/puréed pumpkin)

   3/4 cup apple juice

   1 & 1/2 cups sugar

   2 tsp cinnamon

   2 tsp ginger

   1 tsp nutmeg

   1/4 - 1/2 tsp cloves (this will mellow as it cooks)

Keep in the fridge.

Pulled Pork Tastiness

1. wrap a pork roast in tinfoil and place in slow cooker with one cup water for 8 hours on low

2. Remove pork roast from slow cooker and shred by hand. Drain water from slow cooker.

3. Place shredded meat back into slow cooker and add two cans El Paso sauce and one can of 15 ounce tomato sauce. Add ¾c to 1 1/2 c brown sugar to taste.

White bean chili

White bean chili

Ingredients:
1 TB Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (cubed)
2 14 oz. cans chicken broth
3 15.8 oz. cans Great Northern beans (drained and rinsed)
2 4.5 oz. cans chopped green chiles
2 15.8 oz. can Pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 cup whipping cream
1 8 oz. container sour cream
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Cilantro (garnish)

Instructions:
Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute chicken for 10 minutes or until it is cooked through. Take off the heat and set aside.
While chicken is cooking, add broth, beans, undrained chilis and seasonings into the crock pot. Add chicken to broth mixture once it is done cooking.
Cook soup on high in the crock pot for 2 hours. Cook on low for the last hour.
Add sour cream and whipping cream at the 3 hour mark. Cook on low for another hour.
Serve with cilantro and shredded cheese.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

Thanks, Helene for this awesome recipe! I can't wait to try it!

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix thoroughly:

   1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

   3/4 cups milk

   2 eggs

   1 1/2 teaspoons salt

   1/4 teaspoon black pepper

   1 small onion, chopped

   1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

   3/4 cups cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs

Press into a 9 x 5" loaf pan.

Spread/sprinkle on top:

   1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

   1/2 cups ketchup

Bake for an hour & 10 minutes or until juices are clear.