Meatless Monday: Yummy Side Dishes

This super-yummy potato side dish recipe from Little Mommy, Big Appetite was recently shared here a couple of weeks ago, and I just had to try it. She has so many delicious recipes to choose from, but this one is already a new favorite in my home now. I changed it up just a bit according to the ingredients I already had at hand, but I'm sure any way you make something with the words roasted, cheese, and potato in the name, it will turn out good!

I also came up with a new way to enjoy Brussel sprouts (well, there are other similar recipes out there, but this is my version) that I really liked and will be sure to try again. I normally just roast them with a little olive oil and salt and pepper, but this time I steamed and sauteed them. My Meatless Monday last week really felt like a gourmet meal, and I was joined by one of my besties who ate every bite up with Lily and I.

Cheese and Onion Roasted Potato Stacks
(serves 4)

Ingredients:

2-3 medium-size potatos, Russet or Idaho are good
1 small onion, grated or finely diced
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp parsley flake
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cream cheese
Grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix olive oil, onion, and seasonings in small bowl. Clean and peel potatoes, if desired, then slice width-wise as thinly as possible. Brush bottoms of muffin tin with a little olive oil (or you can use cooking spray). Place one slice of potato in 1 muffin tin cup, then drizzle a little of the onion-olive oil concoction on top. Next, place a dollop of cream cheese on top, just about 1 tsp in size. Repeat process until 4-5 potato slices are stacked up in each muffin tin cup, topping it off with a little of the olive oil mixture and no cream cheese.

Place on center rack in oven and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove tray from oven, and sprinkle grated cheese on top of each potato stack, plus a little extra parsley. Put back in oven, and broil for 5 minutes more, or until cheese is melted to your taste. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Almonds and Lemon
(serves 4-6)

Ingredients

1 lb Brussel sprouts, cleaned and trimmed
1/4 cup sliced almonds
3 tbsp butter or oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut Brussel sprouts into quarters, like in the picture below. Fill a large frying pan's bottom with water, just enough so that the bottom is covered and is only about 1 cm deep. Place sprouts in pan, cover, and cook on medium-low for about 5-7 minutes, or until tender.  Meanwhile, you can toast the almond slices on the "Medium" setting in your toaster oven, or on a baking tray in your oven at 350 degrees until lightly browned (about 5-7 minutes).

Drain sprouts, then melt butter in pan. Put sprouts back in and saute for about 3-5 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and almonds, plus salt and pepper to taste, and stir until well-covered. Serve right away and enjoy the delicate flavor combination. 

Mommy's and Lily's plates

Potato stack cut open

If these sides don't entice you, then I don't know what will! We ate it all up and nobody complained. The cream cheese was such a nice touch to the potato stacks, I can't wait to make these again. I had three servings of the Brussel sprouts! We also had some rice pilaf from a package of Near East brand sides. I normally avoid pre-packaged foods like that, but Near East is pretty all natural to my knowledge and doesn't contain anything artificial. 

Hopefully picky eaters in your household won't have any problem with these tasty sides. Even babies over 6 months can enjoy some of the potatoes mashed-up and some extra-mushy brussel sprouts. I hope your family likes these as much as we did :)

We all know brussel sprouts are super-good for us, but they are also one of those classic ick foods we all remember mom and dad forcing upon us as kids. I have actually always enjoyed them, probably because my mom would steam and butter them until they were like buttery mush in my mouth. Yet, most kids don't like them, but that shouldn't be. They are so yummy and versatile- you can steam them, roast them, bake them, add the to soups and stews, mash them up, chop them up...really, there is just so much you can do!

They are chock full of vitamins and nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, and folate. They support a healthy immune system, fight cancer-causing free radicals, and also support a healthy heart and digestive system. They are in season now, so remember to have them with Thanksgiving this year!

Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday dish below! Share your turkey-alternatives or other yummy Thanksgiving favorites. No rules, other than please only link-up meat-free recipes. No other un-related links or I will remove them. Sorry to sound so harsh, but let's keep it true to what it is, ok? Link up as much as you want, and feel free to spread the word with the button below. Thanks, and have a great week! 
          

<a href="http://jessica-healthymommyhealthybaby.blogspot.com/search/label/meatless%20mondays" target="_blank"><img alt="Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby" src="http://draft.blogger.com/%E2%80%9CADD%E2%80%9D"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/ruffandcut/HMHBMMHop_button.jpg"/></a>

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and be safe wherever you are! Thanks for linking-up and supporting my blog, I greatly appreciate it ALWAYS. Btw, if you missed it Friday and are still looking for an alternative to a full-sized turkey for your main course this year, here is an easy and tasty turkey loaf recipe. I'll be away for the holidays, so I may not post again today after this, but I'll do my best if I can find the time. :)

 
  

Meatless Monday: Asian-Style Noodle Soup

I hope everyone had a nice Father's Day with their dad, husband, grandfather, brother, friend, whoever this weekend. Poor Paul has a toothache, so his wasn't as grand as it could've been. We did go to a local fair and had some fun there, so I'm glad we at least did that.

Yesterday I had a craving for this simple noodle soup and decided to have it for dinner last night. It's perfect for Meatless Monday too, and you can make it in about 30 minutes! It's similar to those packages of instant ramen noodles you can get for less than a quarter at most grocery stores, only so much better and not such "cheap" quality...(a lot less sodium too!).

New Android means new (and better) camera

Asian-Style Noodle Soup
(serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

1 8 or 10 oz. package ramen noodles
6 bunches baby bok choy
4 cups vegetable broth or 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
2 cups water 
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp ginger powder or 1/2 tsp diced ginger
1/2 tsp chili paste
Diced scallions and cilantro for garnish

Bring water and broth to a boil. If using the 2 bouillon cubes, add to boiling 6 cups of water. Add bok choy and noodles and boil for 5 minutes more. Bring soup down to a simmer and add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and chili paste, if using. The chili paste is very spicy, so if you and your family are sensitive to fiery flavors, omit chili paste. If some people like spicy and some don't, you can always just add to soup after it's ready. 

Some of the brands I used

Ramen

Cooking the bok

Add more seasonings to taste if desired, then serve into bowls when ready. Top each bowl with a little scallion and/or cilantro, plus chili paste if using. I like to add extra, but like I said before, it's very spicy hot so only add a little at a time if you're not familiar with using it. Kids should enjoy the long, curly noodles in this soup. Adding extra veggies will make it even healthier.

This soup can be considered a basic base for a heartier soup filled with vegetables such as these:

• carrots
• snow peas
• bamboo shoots
• tofu
• peppers
• onion

You can also add meat to it, but since it's Meatless Monday I didn't include any in the list of add-ins.

Bok choy is not a vegetable I use often, but after visiting the Hong Kong Supermarket in my area recently, I picked some up (mainly so I could try this other awesome vegetarian recipe that should be the star of next week's MM post!) and then got a craving for this soup. I make it quite often when I need a Chinese-food-and-soup fix. It's just so easy to make and very satisfying.

Anyway, back to the bok. Most Americans don't use bok choy in their average meal plan, but you can find it in most Asian food markets. I highly recommend using organic if you can find it, otherwise be sure to rinse it very well and chop off the hard stem ends like in the picture below.

Bok choy is also very good for you. Like other cruciferous vegetables, bok choy can help to prevent cancer. It also contains many vitamins and nutrients, like vitamins A, C, K and folate. Yet another benefit of bok choy is its blood pressure-regulating properties due to its low sodium content.

Try it in your next stir-fry or eat it raw in a salad. Honestly, I'm not fond of it raw due to it being very bitter-tasting, but many people do like it that way; it's also supposed to be the best way to eat it, health-wise.

Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday recipe! Please link up any meat-free dish you'd like below. Link as many as you want! Grab a button and spread the word! Thanks for stopping by :)
 

<a href="http://jessica-healthymommyhealthybaby.blogspot.com/search/label/meatless%20mondays" target="_blank"><img src="<" target="_blank"> />" alt="Healthy Mommy Healthy Baby" width="125" height="125" /></a>

Sweet Saturday #5: Puckered Papaya Smoothie

First of all, I just wanted to share this picture of my perfect breakfast that I took this morning:

I thought it just looked too pretty not to share :) 

Now, enjoy this:

 
Puckered Papaya Smoothie
serves 2-4

1 cup chopped papaya
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup orange-pineapple juice
1/2 cup almond coconut milk
1 tsp honey
Juice of half a lime
Lime wedges for garnish

Put all ingredients except for the lime wedges into blender. Blend or puree until smooth. Serve in glasses with lime wedges. Tip: rub the lime wedge along the rim of the glass to get that puckered lime taste each sip!

Boosts you can add:

• aloe vera juice
• hemp seed powder
• coconut oil
• protein powder
• super greens powder
• ginger

Add about 1 tsp each per serving for maximum benefit!

The whole fam will love it! Make a big batch and share it at a party or gathering. This would be a hit at your Memorial Day weekend BBQ!  


I just love papaya, and I certainly don't eat it enough. They are technically in season June-September, but Paul came across this yummy smoothie recipe and I just couldn't wait! Besides being positively delicious, papayas are full of so much healthy goodness. They have high amounts of vitamin c, vitamin a, folate and potassium. They protect against heart disease and aid in immune support and digestion. 
They have also been found to prevent macular degeneration (primary cause of vision loss in older adults) and when combined with green tea, papaya can protect against prostate cancer! Papaya is considered by many to be a super food.

Now it's your turn to share something sweet with the return of Sweet Saturday Link Party! Link up a sweet treat, a sweet post, a sweet photo, a sweet Etsy shop or Facebook page- whatever you want! Just remember to follow your hostess and, if you'd like to, share the link on your page or blog with the button below. Whoever's link gets the most visits will be offered to co-host next week!
 

<a href="http://jessica-healthymommyhealthybaby.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="<" target="_blank"> />" alt="Healthy Mommy Healthy Baby" width="125" height="125" /></a>

 
Have fun and share as much as you'd like! Have a great weekend!


Oooohhh, I almost forgot- I FINALLY joined Pinterest, so be sure to follow me and/or pin this sweet little recipe. I'm new to it, so feel free to "show me the ropes" ;)

 

Product Review: Grain Berry Bran Flakes

This is only my second product review, but I was recently introduced to this cereal and I really like it- enough to want to tell you about it!

Grain Berry Bran Flakes®

how I like to enjoy them

I'd actually seen it in the cereal aisle a couple of times before Paul decided to go and buy it for us because he found it on sale one week. I was afraid it might taste like cardboard like so many other bran flakes tend to, but these are actually quite flavorful in a rich and hearty sort of way. They even have a delicate sweetness and just enough crunch.

The box boasts that it is full of antioxidants, having "oz. for oz. more antioxidants than blueberries, pomegranate juice, or red wine." As most of us know, antioxidants are very beneficial in a number of ways, including keeping the heart healthy, fighting cancer-causing free radicals and supporting the immune system. What makes this cereal particularly different from other bran flakes is that the flakes are made from grain berries, a plant which contains all the extra antioxidizing benefits. Read more about this incredible plant here.  

helping herself

The ultimate taste-test came when I offered Lily a bite. She didn't seem to be too thrilled at first, but then asked for seconds! She especially liked them when I added fresh berries to the mix. We enjoyed them with my favorite new milk, Blue Diamond Almond-Coconut Milk® (another review I should do!). 

Since getting hooked on the Bran Flakes, we have also enjoyed the Grain Berry Toasted Oats® and Honey Nut® , respectively. 


Some of the vitamins and minerals the Bran Flakes contain:

• Iron
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B6
• Folate
• Zinc

Pick up a box today! They were recently on sale 2 for $5 at Shop Rite, so they can be found there for sure. 


*Note: I was not paid or endorsed in any way to write this review. I reviewed this product entirely of my own accord.

Meatless Monday: White Bean and Escarole Soup

You already know I love my soups…and the way the weather has been lately, I had a hankerin’ for something to give me that warm, cozy feeling inside.  Luckily, my mother-in-law (also known as “Nanny Rose”, as you may recall if you caught this post) made this delicious soup recently that I just had to try and make myself. Even luckilier (not a word?), she gave me some leftover escarole sautéed with garlic and olive oil. What luck indeed! I was able to replicate her yummy recipe quite well, if I do so say so myself…

White Bean and Escarole Soup

(serves 8-10)

Ingredients

6 cups water

1 large bunch of escarole (or 2 smaller ones)

1 14 oz can or package of white beans, preferably Small, but Northern will work too

1 cup of baby spinach, rinsed (optional)

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp cayenne pepper (or less depending on your taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop the stem section (the white part) off of the bottom, then thoroughly rinse the leafy part under cold water. Once rinsed, chop up as you would a bunch of romaine, so the pieces are not too big and not too small. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat then add the garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Next, add the escarole and spinach and mix together with the olive oil and garlic, then add the water and bring to a boil.

If you’re using canned beans, rinse them if you have not already done so, then add to the pot. Stir in the tomato paste, cayenne, salt and pepper. Bring heat down to a low simmer, then cover, cooking for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour (the longer you simmer the stronger the flavors will be).  Add more seasoning as needed. Serve with sharp cheese and crispy, crusty, warm bread.

I like to add extra cayenne, but if you’re serving it to people (or kids) who don’t like things to be too hot and spicy, don’t be as liberal. You can also add more tomato paste to balance it out and bring more flavor to the broth as children may find it unappealing as is. This is also a particularly garlicy soup since it has the strongest flavor of all the ingredients you’re putting in besides the cayenne, so some kids may not dig that either. To be honest, this is more of an adult soup I’d say. I offered it to Lily and she turned her nose right up at it and I could not get her to even taste it no matter how many times I offered. Poor thing had a head cold for a couple days too, but apparently it also caused her to lose her appetite. It would have been ideal for her sinuses, but all she’d eat is small amounts of fruit. If you're a vegetarian who's feeling sick, give this soup a try!

my little sick girl :(

For little ones with undeveloped palates, you can scoop out some of the greens and beans and mix with some small-shaped pasta, such as orzo or ditalini, topped with some Parm cheese or extra olive oil. Lily liked it that way.

Escarole is a leafy vegetable I don’t make too often. Not too many recipes come to mind when I think of it, but generally it can be used like most other greens, such as spinach and kale. It’s a little less bitter and the taste is a quite delicate when cooked, but it is still extremely versatile. After making this soup, I’d like to try some other dishes with it.

Additionally, like other greens, escarole is very good for you. It’s a type of endive (which I did not know until I looked it up) chock full of vitamins K, C, A and B, as well as a high amount of folate which helps protect against cancer. Escarole also contains a wide variety of minerals, such as magnesium, calcium and iron.

I never really looked at the Livestrong website before, but there is a lot of info on escarole there as well many other foods and the health benefits associated with them. Take a look!

Happy Meatless Monday! I hope you enjoy whatever you’re having. Link it up in the comments :)

Meatless Monday: Campanelle and Broccoli with Gravy

Today's recipe is a little something I whipped up on a whim with what I already had readily available in my kitchen. I wanted to use the broccoli and pasta with a light white sauce, but instead concocted this gravy-like sauce that was more tan than white. It tasted pretty darn good anyway, akin to the type of gravy my grandma used for the Swedish meatballs and rice dish she used to make (she may still make it, but it's been a while since I had it with her!). I used beef stock, but you can use vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian and it will taste just as good. The added white wine, lemon juice, and touch of light cream make this especially savory. I also used campanelle pasta- which are pictured below -just because they have such a delicate and unique shape, and are ideal for sauces such as these. I hope you like!

Campanelle Pasta and Broccoli in Gravy
makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 package campanelle pasta

2 cups broccoli florets 

Gravy:

1 cup water

1 cup vegetable or beef stock

1/4 cup white wine

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp light cream

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp parsley

1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook the pasta in a large pot according to instructions. Lightly steam or blanch the broccoli for about 5 minutes or until slightly tender. In a wide frying pan, saute the garlic in the olive oil over low heat until fragrant. Add the oregano and parsley, and cook while stirring for one minute, then add the white wine. Allow the wine to evaporate into the garlic, then add the cup of broth and bring to a high simmer. Meanwhile, whisk the flour into the cup of water, then add to the broth mixture and bring to a boil, stirring to make sure no clumps form. Bring the heat back down to medium-low and stir in the lemon juice, cream and black pepper; add the broccoli and cover, cooking over medium-low heat for about 5 more minute or until the broccoli is soft enough to your liking. Add all the sauce and broccoli to the pasta and coat. Serve hot with extra pepper and a lemon wedge if desired.

such a pretty shape

This recipe is great for kids and easy to make. For babies too young for big bites of pasta and broccoli like this, here's a simple little recipe:

2-4 steamed broccoli florets

1/4 cup cooked small-shaped pasta

1 tbsp gravy or butter or olive oil

Sprinkle of Parm or Romano cheese

Mix together and serve to your little one! Yum-yum!

Her expression may not exactly say it, but she did enjoy this dish

Broccoli is obviously a well-known healthy food, but since I never really talked about it on here, I'll focus on that today. It's known as a "super food" due to its richness in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and fiber, and is also simply chock full of green goodness. An incredibly versatile food, broccoli is anti-cancerous, anti-oxidating, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying. That's a lot for one plant! Eating half a cup a day or at least 2 cups of broccoli a week dramatically lowers your risk of cancer. These factors just add to it already being one of my favorite foods, and Lily's for that matter! It is one of the few vegetables she will happily eat!

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Simple Turkey Soup

Here is the second recipe in my Thanksgiving series, and will likely be the final one unless I come up with something else awesome. This one is pretty quick and simple as long as you have the stock ready. This would make the ideal quick lunch, at home or to-go.

Simple Turkey Soup

4 cups turkey stock (click here for recipe)

2 cups water

2 cups chunks of roast turkey

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

1 small or medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Saute the onion and garlic with the seasonings in the olive oil until fragrant for about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and veggies and stir around until coated with the aromatics for about 1 minute then add the stock and water. Boil until carrots are softened. Add seasoning to your liking. Ready to serve or store! Great with crackers and cheese or rolls fresh out of the oven.

This is super easy. You can even make it per bowl if you have everything right on hand; in fact, that’s what I did when I made a version of this with just the turkey, veggies and a little seasoning in broth. I simply boiled the stock then threw in all the ingredients, cooking for 5 minutes on high. Even easier!

I neglected to talk about the health benefits of turkey in my last post, so here’s that info now if you were wondering. First of all, not only is turkey particularly high in protein, but- as we all know –it contains a significant amount of tryptophan, which is notoriously known to promote sleepiness, when in fact there is no research that proves this. It also contains, selenium, B6 and B12, and is a good choice if you are on a low fat diet as it is not associated with the health risks that eating red meat is.

Now I want to talk about celery, which is actually a pretty amazing detoxifier. It contains a large amount of vitamin K as most green veggies do, and a fair share of folate, and vitamins A and C. Celery has cholesterol and blood pressure lowering benefits and acts as a strong diuretic making it the perfect addition to your detoxifying fresh-squeezed juice. In fact, here’s a really good recipe for your juicer if you happen to have one.

Detoxifier

1 apple

2 regular size carrots or 1 large one

2 celery stalks

1 small piece of ginger, approximately the size of your thumb

Squirt of lemon juice

Throw it all in the juicer according to instructions and top off with a squirt of lemon before drinking. Very refreshing!

I also just found out, according to WHFoods.com, that celery contains “coumarins that help prevent free radicals from damaging cells, thus decreasing the mutations that increase the potential for cells to become cancerous.” Pretty interesting! This is a vegetable that is often over looked and merely thought of as a “diet food” or filler for soups and stews, when in fact it is good for you in a number of ways. Makes a great snack with some peanut butter or pimento spread on top!

Lily loves celery with peanut butter on it; it’s the only way she’ll eat it actually! Celery is very good for your little one who has trouble eliminating due to it’s diuretic properties and large amount of fiber. If your young child or toddler (with teeth) has tummy troubles, give them a piece of celery to chew on.

Here’s a classic you may already know that your kids will enjoy:

Frogs on a Log

2-4 celery stalks cut into quarters

Cream cheese

2-4 green olives, sliced

Spread some cream cheese onto each celery section enough so that the little cavern is filled. Top with 4-6 olive slices as shown in the picture below. Serve as an afternoon snack.

Image courtesy delish.com

Kids will like the name and you will like that it’s healthy and easy to make. You could also use peanut butter and raisins instead!

Do you have any interesting celery recipes to share? Share in the comments!