Notes:
Great for sandwiches, a spread on any protein, in soup…. let the imagination go…. 

My boyfriend thought we were in a restaurant when I made this spread for our chicken sandwich. YUM.

 This is a pretty traditional recipe, but I just thought it needed some zing…. the lemony kind. 

Servings: 4-8

Ingredients:
1 cup stuffed of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4-6 walnut halves
1-2 garlic cloves chopped
juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor or blender (which I use) and blend until well mixed. Store extra in fridge in a glass jar or glass container.

Submitted by:
Jennifer

Notes:
The color of this salad is WONDERFUL!

This is a bit of a tease, but I want to share a bit of this recipe.  This I came up with when I bought the most beautiful beets, with greens still attached.  I had to use the root and greens when they looked this good.  BUT, the dressing is a bit of a tease.  I want to put it in my cookbook someday so I will just give a general guideline for the recipe.  This is the best dressing ever!  But I think it has everything to do with the healthy silky avocado.  Never again will I be worried about the fat content of the avocado.  I just enjoy!  Be smart with the rest of the day and enjoy

Servings: 1

Ingredients:
1 c. chopped and ever so slightly steamed beet greens (a flash steam really - less then a minute)
1 med. thinly sliced raw beets (new and sweet are the best!)
avocado
something sweet
something sour
some kind of herb
salt and pepper if you desire
something spicy if you like

Directions:
Steam beet greens lightly
Slice beet and place on top of the greens

In blender mix a scooped out avocado with a about 3/4 c of water (start with 1/2 if you have a small avocado) and add the rest of your fave ingredients from the above suggestions.

Be generous with the dressing on the salad, but there will be left overs and if you use lemon as the sour, it is pretty good for a couple days. My dressing lasted one day. Might be best to share it with someone else. Or it could be the treat of the day.

Submitted by:
Jennifer

Notes:
This pancake recipe is what I created when I looked at the most common eggless pancake recipe on the Net.  Then I proceeded to make it sugarless, wheatless and milkless (well nearly cowless really)…lol   I found nothing like it.  It worked out AWESOME!!!

Those who are allergic to milk can usually have butter because it is pretty much protein free.  So I kept butter in the recipe.  Butter withstands high temperatures and has not been chemically altered like the junk margarines out there. Never kid yourself, butter is better in moderation then any small or moderate amount of margarine.

If you used amaranth flour, this recipe could be even higher in calcium with out using dairy. 

Also the original recipe called for just cinnamon not the mocha ingredients, but I did not have cinnamon.  The mocha is great and I am sure the cinnamon would be classic.

If the real recipe is desired, just search “eggless pancakes”.

We had our pancakes and froze a serving each for another day.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 c. spelt flour
few dashes of stevia
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. of instant expresso powder OR 1 t. of Caflib (coffee alternative made of barley) -more if you like
1/2-1 t. of cocoa powder - more if you like
—————————-
1 c. of almond milk
1 T. safflower oil or other.
1 T. water (this may not be necessary as I found it quite liquidy so I added 3 T. of large flake oatmeal)
1 t. vanilla
2 T. butter for frying

Directions:
Combine wet in one bowl (mix) and dry ingredients in another (mix). When frying pan is hot (on medium heat for my stove), mix wet into dry and do not over mix. A few little lumps are ok. Place small amounts of butter into pan and then place pancakes as desired. I do recommend making cute little pancakes as they are easy to flip. When bubbles appear, then they are ready to flip. I found 2 T of butter was just right for making about 12 small pancakes.

Top with some fruit or a little real maple syrup and WOW! It hardly seems like healthy food!

Submitted by:
Jennifer

Notes:
http://thaifood.about.com/od/oodlesofnoodles/r/tyumnoodles.htm (source of this recipe)

http://www.thaifoodtonight.com/thaifoodtonight/recipes-Rice.htm (another great site that has video directions)

 I love this soup so much !!!

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock (this makes enough soup to serve 2 people - double the recipe for 4 or more)
1 stalk lemongrass (for instructions on how to prepare lemongrass, see link below)
3 kaffir lime leaves (available fresh or frozen at Asian food stores)
12 medium or large raw shrimp, shelled
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1-2 small red (or substitute green) chillies (depending on desired spiciness), finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
a handful of cherry tomatoes
a handful of fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 green and/or red bell pepper, sliced
1 can coconut milk
1/3 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
optional: additional Thai red chillies, OR Nam Prik Pao Chili Sauce (1-2 tsp.)
optional: wedges of lime for serving (key limes or regular limes)

Directions:
Pretty common sense thought the sites about are good for tips. Did not know you have to hammer the lemongrass inorder to get the flavor out. Good tip.

I like the soup with chicken or an egg when I do not have shrimp.

Adding some rice or rice noodle is optional.

For the purpose of dieting I also go easy or not at all with the coconut. I would rather chose a little portion of yummy coconut rice on the side instead.

Submitted by:
Jennifer

Notes:
Found this recipe on the back of the red quinoa box.  I altered it a bit.  I do not tend to like things like vinegar and wine as they just do not agree with me.  You could add 1/2 c of Marsala wine at the end of cooking.

Servings: 4-5

Ingredients:
1 c. of washed red quinoa
1 & 3/4 c of water or broth
pinch of sea salt if you use water
pepper
chilli powder
1 T. olive oil
2 shallots or a little onion
1 tsp basil or dried cilantro
1 c. mushrooms
1 c. of veggies of choice (I used carrots and asparagus)
3/4 c. beans (I used kidney)
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, parlsey or basil
Tamari to taste
lemon wedges
slightly toasted sesame seeds and/or pecans (about 1 heaping T. per person)

Directions:
Cook the first 6 ingredients until nearly cooked (tender) in a skillet along with any desired dry herbs and spices. Set aside. Add gently cooked onion and hard veggies in a little oil of choice (coconut or olive) in another pot. Then add mushrooms and cooked beans. Mix both together. Add sauce of choice or Tamari to flavour a little more. Add fresh herbs. Plate. Lemon juice, nuts, seeds.

Submitted by:
Jennifer

Notes:
Just a great tasting and balanced small meal or high energy snack.

Servings: 1

Ingredients:
1 slice of bread of your choice (I used sprouted grain bread, BodyConscious brand)
1 T.- 2 T. or almond butter (based on hunger, energy needed and size of the piece of bread…lol)
half a banana sliced

Directions:
Toast bread, add almond butter & slice and add banana. Want more of a treat or dessert? Drizzle with a little honey.

Submitted by:
Jennifer

Notes:
Easy and light salad that seems too simple to be this good.  This is a salad my Mom often made when we wanted potato salad.

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:
2 large cooked and cooled potatoes
2-3 sliced radishes
1 sliced celery stalk
about 3 T. finely chopped onions
1.5 T. olive oil
2 T. vinegar OR fresh lemon juice
salt
pepper

Directions:
Use left over potatoes or cook and cool. Cut into large chunks and add the rest of the veggies. Prepare dressing in a separate bowl, add oil and vinegar. Salt and pepper. Then add to the veggies. Dill might be nice.

Submitted by:
Jennifer

Notes:
This soup’s ingredients are plain and simple extremely rich in iodine and beneficial for those who are iodine deficient.  Those who have an under active thyroid can benefit from extra iodine.    Believe it or not, leave vegetables like kale, cabbage and cauliflower out of this recipe as they do NOT assist thyroid function.  The below site is very educational and repeats much of what I have learned from a variety of sources.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Hypothyroidism-and-Diet—Good-and-Bad-Foods&id=946465

http://ezinearticles.com/?Diet-Approach-To-Hypothyroidism&id=840400

Servings: 2

Ingredients:
-Any fish you like. Shrimp, salmon etc. (total protein for 2 people: about 8 ounces)
-oil of choice (not canola)
-Vegetable broth of choice and I think the low sodium tastes best. Leave the chemical filled broths out of this recipe. (about 4 cups)
-onions, garlic
-cut mushrooms (fiber-rich)
-turmeric, cumin, ginger, cayenne, curry, whatever (add spices to desired taste)
-cut seaweed pieces (a little more is better, then a little more)
-1/2 c. coconut milk (optional)

Directions:
Add oil to a medium heated pot and add onions and garlic.
Add pieces of fish and cook.
Add mushrooms, shrimp and spices
When fish is cooked (0nce it flakes and shrimp are pink) add broth.
1/2 c. or so of coconut milk (optional)

Quick and simple.

Serve with brown rice, soba noodles or rice noodles if desired.

Submitted by:
Jennifer

Notes:
A way to zip up yogurt in a time when I am craving more pumpkin pie. 

Servings: 1

Ingredients:
1/2 - 3/4 c. plain yogurt or vanilla yogurt

1/2-3/4 c. plain unsweetened canned pumpkin

couple dashes of cinnamon, stevia and other pumpkin pie spices (I like nutmeg and cardamon.)

nuts, seeds or granola is optional. I prefer it smooth and simple.

Directions:
Mix and eat.

Submitted by:
Jennifer

Notes:
This is a wonderful and healthy anytime breakfast or snack.  S0 yummy!!!

Servings: 2

Ingredients:
2 and 1/2 c. of milk (I used unsweetened almond when I made it, but any works of course)
2 heaping T. of flax seeds (or a little more)
2 c. dark frozen cherries unsweetened and pitted
1/2 c. frozen blueberries
squeeze of lemon (optional)
couple dashes of stevia

(If one wanted or needed more protein, egg whites or a protein powder could be added.)

Directions:
Blend milk and flax together in blender first to be sure to break those seeds so that the body can use those EFA (essential fatty acids). Should just take 30 seconds or so. Then add the fruit, stevia and blend well. ENJOY!

Submitted by:
Jennifer