Stuffed Bell Peppers

I did it again! I soaked my grains! This time it was rice. Yay for me! It takes a little planning ahead but it's really easy. If you plan your meals it will become second nature and it only takes a few minutes of your time.

This recipe is a family favorite, and I saw these beautiful organic peppers in the store this week and I just couldn't resist. Delish!

Ingredients

6 Bell Peppers

1 Cup Brown Basmati Rice, soaked and cooked

1 Lb Grass-Fed Ground Beef

1/2 Onion, diced

2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

1 Box Pomi Chopped Tomatoes (or just chop up a few tomatoes if they're in season)

8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp Salt

To Prepare Soaked Rice...

Place 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of warm, filtered water plus 2 tablespoons of yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk in a pot and leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours. Bring to a boil, skim, reduce heat, stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1-2 tablespoons butter and cover tightly. Cook over low heat for 45 minutes.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Cut the bell peppers in half, top to bottom. Remove seeds and ribs.

3. Brown the beef, onions and garlic in a cast iron skillet. Turn off the heat and add in the tomatoes, rice, and spices, mixing them up well.

4. Arrange the peppers in a baking dish skin side down. Divide the beef mixture among the pepper halves. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

5. Remove the foil and sprinkle the cheese on the top (remember to leave a few cheese-free for Miss I-Don't-Eat-Food-With-Melted-Cheese-On-Top, aka Sister Bear). Return dish to the oven, uncovered, for about five minutes.

Mom Tip

*You can of course make this recipe without soaking the rice ahead of time - just cook it according to package directions. I soaked the rice overnight and cooked it when I woke up in the morning and just saved it in the fridge until I was ready to use it.

Soaked Pancakes

When I first started reading about soaking grains over a year ago I was intimidated and overwhelmed. It took me awhile, but today I made my first recipe using soaked grains and it was a SUCCESS and SO easy! In the words of Sister Bear after taking her first bite of these: "I'm just warnin' ya! These are Yuh - Uh - Uh - Uh - MEEEE!"

*If you're interested in reading about the benefits of soaking grains, just google "soaking grains." There's no shortage of information!

Ingredients

2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 Cups Yogurt (you could also use buttermilk or kefir)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 Tbsp Butter, melted

Directions

1. Mix the flour with the yogurt and place it in a warm place for 12-24 hours. (I set the bowl inside the oven.)

2. When you're ready to make the pancakes, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Add water to obtain desired thickness. I suggest adding only a little bit at a time because it doesn't take a great deal of water to make your pancakes thin.

3. Cook on a hot, oiled griddle or cast iron skillet. I use coconut oil.

Mom Tip We love thinly sliced strawberries in our pancake batter!

Soy-Ginger Wings

This is a cheap meal. Whenever I see wings on sale at Whole Foods I stock up. I can get two pounds for under five bucks. Not too shabby!

I adapted this recipe from one I found in Parents magazine. I switched the grapeseed oil out in favor of coconut, which has tremendous health benefits. The recipe originally called for 3 pounds of wings, but 2 is enough for our family right now (someday I'm sure we'll need more!). I also added the sesame seeds.

Serve with some teriyaki flavored asparagus, some rice, and some tropical fruit like mango or grilled pineapple... YUM!

Ingredients

2 lbs Chicken Wings, room temperature

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Salt and Pepper

Sesame Seeds

For the soy-ginger glaze, combine:

1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

2 Tbsp Rice-Wine Vinegar

2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450. Put the chicken wings in a large roasting pan, drizzle with the coconut oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread wings in a single layer, meaty side down.

2. Put the pan in the oven and immediately turn oven down to 375. Roast, undisturbed, until the bottom of the pan is coated with fat and the wings are beginning to brown, about 15 minutes (or until they're not sticking to the pan).

3. Take the pan out of the oven and toss the wings with the soy-ginger glaze. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Arrange the wings with the meaty side up and return the pan to the oven until they are nicely browned, about 10 more minutes.

4. Raise the oven temperature to 450 and continue to cook until wings are crisp all over, about ten more minutes. Transfer the wings to a serving dish and pour the pan drippings over the top.

Mom Tip

If your coconut oil is solid, just stick it somewhere warm for a few seconds until it's liquid.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

This is great grandma Lois's recipe, and it's dad's absolute favorite pumpkin pie in the world! (Mine, too - but the way he goes on about it you'd think it was his grandma's recipe.) We love it with a homemade graham cracker crust, which is super easy to make.

It doesn't require an oven (except for the pie crust), just a stovetop and a double boiler.

Ingredients

3 Eggs, separated into yolks and whites
1 Cup Sugar
1 1/4 Cup Pureed Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1 Tbsp Unflavored Gelatin
1/4 Cup Water
1 Graham Cracker Pie Shell

Directions

1. Heat water in the bottom of a double boiler until boiling. In a mixer, beat egg yolk plus 1/2 cup sugar til thick. Add pumpkin, milk, salt and spices and mix together. Transfer this mixture to the top of a double boiler and cook until thick.

2. Soften gelatin in the 1/4 cup of cold water for five minutes. Stir into hot mixture.

3. In the mixer, beat egg whites until stiff, then add 1/2 cup sugar. Add to double boiler and mix.

4. Pour into pie shell and chill for at least three hours. Serve with whipped cream.

Sweet Potato & Fresh Orange Casserole

Believe it or not, I found this delicious recipe last year on Live with Regis and Kelly. It must have been fate that the one random time I ever watched that show I got something out of it! Gotta give all the credit to Joy Philbin, as it's her recipe, and it's delicious! I only wish that someone in my family liked sweet potatoes besides me... I'm putting it here anyway, because someday my kids are going to have to make it for me.

Ingredients

4 Large Sweet Potatoes
2 Oranges
1 Stick of Butter
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Pecans, chopped
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Cup Orange Juice
3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1/8 Tsp Cloves

Directions

1. Cover potatoes in water and boil until tender, approximately 25-30 minutes. Remove the potatoes and peel while still warm. Cut into 1/4" slices and set aside. Peel, then slice the oranges into 1/4" slices. Mix gently with potatoes.

2. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and add potato/orange mixture.

3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and pecans. Simmer 3 minutes. Pour sugar/pecan mixture over the top of the potato/orange mixture.

4. In a saucepan, mix the OJ, cornstarch, maple syrup, and cloves. Cook and stir until thick. Pour over potatoes and bake at 375 for 15 minutes.