Homemade Instant Hot Chocolate Mix

Fills one 8 ounce glass jar

Ingredients

  • 4 TBSP baking cocoa
  • 8 TBSP granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Pour all ingredients into an empty glass jar, seal, and shake well to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients.
  2. Enclose a note with the following instructions: “Scoop two heaping tablespoons of hot cocoa mix into mug and fill with one cup of very warm milk. Stir and enjoy!”

Spicy Quick-Pickled Veggies

Prep Time:15 mins — Cook Time: 5 mins — Total Time: 20 mins — Yield: 1 quart pickles

Learn how to make spicy quick-pickled vegetables (jalapenos en escabeche)! They are so easy to make. Pickled veggies are great on salads, sandwiches, and other dishes.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 medium cauliflower, florets cut into small, bite sized pieces
  • 2 medium carrots, cut on a sharp diagonal into 1/8″ thin rounds
  • 1 small white or yellow onion, sliced into very thin rounds
  • 2 medium jalapenos, sliced into thin rounds
  • 6 garlic cloves, quartered
  • 1 cup plain white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 TBSP salt
  • 1 1/2 TBSP honey or maple syrup
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Pack the cauliflower, carrots, onion, jalapenos, and garlic, into a quart-sized wide-mouth mason jar. Place the jar in the sink, since you’ll be pouring hot liquid into it soon.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, salt, honey, bay leaf, oregano, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer over high heat, then carefully pour the hot vinegar mixture into the jar. You should have enough to completely submerge the vegetables (maybe a little extra). Tuck the bay leaf into the side of the jar.
  3. Let the pickles cool to room temperature (about 1 1/2 hours) before tapping the jar to remove air bubbles. The pickles should be pretty well pickled and ready to consume at this point. If you’re not eating them right away, securely fasten the lid and refrigerate for up to a month.

Lovely Lentils

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.

Outrageous Brownies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Grease an 8×8 inch brownie pan
  3. Melt butter and chocolate chips in a pan on stove
  4. Stir sugar, vanilla, and salt into chocolate/butter mixture
  5. Beat in flour, mix until blended
  6. Pour into pan
  7. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake. Allow to cool completely.

*Can substitute flour for GF flour “Extra White Gold brand”

Party Salmon Dip

Adapted from Trim Healthy Mama

Ingredients 

Drain 2 cans wild caught salmon and empty contents into a bowl 

Add 2 eight oz. packages of cream cheese.

Add 3 Tbs. lemon juice ( or juice of one lemon)

1 tsp. cayenne 

Mix well with an electric mixer 

Finally, add one bunch of green onion and stir in with a fork

Spicy Lemon Kale

Ingredients 

1 to 2 bunches bunch organic kale rinsed and cut with scissors into small pieces (skip the stalks if you want or cut  them very thin, in rounds)

1 organic lemon, juiced.

 ¼  cup Nama Shoyu or Tamari (healthier versions of soy sauce)

2 tablespoons organic onion minced (or ¼ medium onion, purple onions are great here)

 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

 ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 

⅛ teaspoon sea salt 

Instructions 

  1. Mix all ingredients together and toss with kale. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes 

Asian Cabbage Salad

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cups finely shredded organic cabbage 

1 cup grated organic carrots

 ½ cup diced organic red/green ( red makes the salad extra beautiful) Combine and set aside.

Dressing:

2 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil 

2 tablespoons Rice vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar because that is what I had on hand)

2 teaspoons brown sugar (or one good squirt of honey)

1 tablespoon soy sauce (Tamari or Nama Shoyu)

 ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger root (or ¼ teaspoon dried ginger root)

 Tabasco or pepper sauce (we use a ½  teaspoon of cayenne powder)

 Wisk together and pour over and toss well. Let sit 10 or 15 minutes before serving

 Optional 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds mixed in with dressing

Date Cake

Ingredients 

1 to 2 pounds organic Medjool dates (go organic here as dates are highly sprayed)

½ cup to 1 cup of chopped cashews

 1 cup of shredded organic coconut

Instructions 

  1. sliced open dates and remove seats. Mash by hand or use a food processor or blender. You will need to just add a little water and mash in small amounts if you use a machine. If you mash by hand just imagine working into a dough, much like Play-Dough. 
  2. Put the mash dates into a bowl or on a cutting board and add in the cashews mix in coconut if you wish. Finally, shape, sprinkle with shredded coconut, chill and enjoy! 
  3. Dark chocolate chips are good addition or carob chips.