Category Archives: Side Dish

Black Beans

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Ingredients

  • 4 cups dried beans (soaked overnight if possible, then drained and rinsed)
  • 2-4 TBSP sea salt
  • 2 tsp garlic powder, or press in 2-4 cloves fresh garlic
  • 1 chopped onion, or 2 TBSP onion flakes

Instructions

  1. Place beans in stock pot, cover with filtered water. Add salt, garlic, and onion,
  2. Cook on medium to high heat until you see a consistent boil
  3. Lower heat and continue to cook for several hours until beans are tender– Keep an eye on the water and add more as you see the need.

Remember you can always flavor with salsa or cilantro, cumin, cayenne, or chipotle seasoning. Try adding 1 can of mild or medium Rotel canned tomatoes and/or 1 small can of mild green chilies.

Healthy Homemade Jello

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Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh squeezed fruit juice or coconut water
  • 3 TBSP grass fed gelatin (add 1 more TBSP if you like your jello really firm)
  • 3 TBSP raw honey (optional)

Instructions

  1. Pour juice in a saucepan
  2. Sprinkle gelatin powder over juice and stir
  3. Turn the heat on medium-low and bring the juice to a simmer
  4. Mix until gelatin is dissolved
  5. Turn off heat and add honey if using
  6. Pour into an 8×8″ square baking dish
  7. Refrigerate until jello is set, about 2 hours

Layered Bean Dip

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You make this your own way… here are some suggestions:

  • start your first layer with beans… mash them ahead of time and cover the bottom of a cake pan–then add layers of any ingredient you enjoy
  • organic sour cream
  • salsa
  • guacamole
  • shredded organic cheese
  • sliced olives (we buy these canned, if at all)
  • green chilis
  • diced green onions
  • chopped tomatoes
  • hot peppers (not at my house, but for spice lovers this is a must)
  • shredded lettuce (only add in lettuce if you are sure this will be eaten in one evening– the lettuce and tomatoes might not store well)

What else? Maybe add in layers of spice, like garlic powder or cayenne.

We try to later each item at least two times with a final of cheese on top.

Lovely Lentils

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Ingredients

  • 4 cups lentils
  • 1 chopped onion sautéed with 3 cloves of garlic (chopped or pressed)
  • 1 8 oz jar of tomato paste
  • 12 cups water
  • 1 TBSP sea salt
  • 2 tsp pepper
  • 1 TBSP cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients and bring to a light boil. Turn heat down and lentils are ready when tender. Should be about 20 minutes.

Golden Beet Salad

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Need to add some color?  Try golden beet salad!   Make this dish early in the week and enjoy it 3-4 days.

Ingredients

  • Steam or boil beets at least 1 bunch of beets (I slice mine before steaming/boiling into halves or large chunks) When they cool you can slip the skin off by pressing your fingers against the skin. The only draw back to beets is that they can be very messy. Work quickly – if they are thoroughly cooked, the skins will slip off easily. Cut into bite size pieces.
  • 1 bunch of beets (prepped as instructed above)
  • Slice or finely chop red 1/4 onion
  • In a bowl add 1/4 cup organic lemon juice,
  • ¼ cup or less extra virgin organic olive oil
  • 2 pressed cloves of garlic
  • 1 tsp of sea salt

Instructions

  1. Mix well and pour over beets. chill. Serve cold.
  2. My friend Christine gave me this recipe and she uses red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice and she also adds feta cheese at the very end.

Navy Beans

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Navy beans with shredded carrots.  Gotta try this one!  We love love love this recipe especially because navy beans cook quicker than other beans.  Fast is fun in our house!

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds dried beans (soaked over night – then drain and rinse the next morning)
  • 2 TBL coconut oil in stock pot
  • Add 1 chopped onion, sauté ’til translucent
  • Add 2 garlic cloves, pressed or diced
  • Cover generously with filtered water
  • Add 2 TBS sea salt (add more if desired)
  • Add 2 cups of shredded carrots just before serving
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook on medium to high heat until you see a consistent boil.
  2. Lower heat and continue to cook for 1 hour or until beans are tender.
  3. Keep an eye on the water and add more as needed.

Sweet Kale Salad

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Kale is a hardy, dark leafy green vegetable that will last in salad form longer than a leafy green like romaine or greenleaf lettuce.  It’s hard to see in this photo, but this is a very large rubbermaid bin full of sweet kale ready for the week.  We used 4 bunches of kale and just increased the other ingredients to taste.  Antioxidants, Vitamins A, K and C, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, fiber, etc.

Ingredients

  • 1 head Kale, remove stems by tearing leaves off, then chop leaves very small or use scissors to cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed/crushed
  • 1/2 cup organic raisins

Instructions

  1. Put all ingredients in a large bowl. Using clean hands massage all ingredients for five minutes to soften the kale and blend flavors together.

Asian Cabbage Slaw

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Why should I eat cabbage?  Green cabbage is high in vitamin C and iron which make it a great food for people who suffer with anemia.  Pregnant women also benefit from it’s high foliate content.  Cabbage is rich in beta-carotene and in potassium.   Even little ones love this slaw! Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook

2 1/2 cups finely shredded organic cabbage

1 cup grated organic carrots

1/2 cup diced organic red/green bell pepper (red makes this salad EXTRA beautiful) 

Combine and set aside.

Dressing:

2 TBLS organic extra virgin olive oil

2 TBLS rice vinegar (I used raw apple cider b/c that is what I had)

1 TBL soy sauce (Nama Shoyu or Gluten Free Tamari)

2 tsp brown sugar (one good squirt of honey)

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root (or 1/4 tsp dried ginger root)

dash of Tabasco or pepper sauce (we used a 1/2 tsp of cayenne powder)

Wisk together and pour over slaw and toss well.  Let set 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Optional:  1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds mixed in with dressing.

Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Dill Salad

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This particular combo is something Jim and I ate while we were in Russia, in between visits with our little ones. Every time I eat it, it reminds me of that special place and special time.  After 3 trips over the big pond, we were home with three lovely children!  This is a large batch – if you have a smaller family, just reduce everything down and enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 4-6 organic cucumbers, diced
  • 4-6 organic tomatoes, chopped
  • 6 TBL. organic, extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp dried dill
  • 2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Mix together, chill and enjoy!

Lime-Ginger Cole Slaw

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This was given to me years ago!  Tried it for the first time for a family party.  I made a huge batch that lasted several days and I didn’t have ginger of any kind on hand and it was still yummy!  I hope you enjoy it, too!  submitted by Lisa H., long time co-op hostess and adapted from Diabetic Cooking)

Ingredients

  • 2 C. finely shredded green cabbage
  • 1 C. finely shredded red cabbage
  • 1 1/2 C. matchstick carrots (or shredded)
  • 1/4 C. finely chopped green onions
  • 3 Tbsp. lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger (was out of this, so I used about 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne (optional – I recommend using them!)
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  1. In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss well. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yum!! 1 batch makes approximately 4, 1 cup servings.