Vanilla Prune Applesauce

Easy, Easy Applesauce! Use for after school snack, baby food, on toast or pancakes, mix into plain yogurt (for a yogurt where you know all the ingredients) or replace fat in recipes. YUM!!!

5-6 Apples peeled, cored, and sliced

2 Tbl Lemon Juice

1 C Water

1 C Chopped Dried Prunes

1 tsp Stevia or 2 Tbl Brown Sugar

3 tsp Vanilla 

Place first 4 ingredients into a Large Pot and bring to a boil, then lower to simmer. 

Simmer 20-30 minutes until apples are pretty soft and stirring occasionally.

Mash with a potato masher, or pour everything into a blender and puree. Then

add in desired sweetener: 2 Tbl Brown Sugar, Sucunat, or 1 tsp Stevia and 3 tsp Vanilla.

ENJOY!

You can easily throw these into freezer safe containers and freeze!

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A Better Replacement

Want to try a healthy replacement for this?

1) The least healthy option, but if your kids like this stuff and eat it a lot, you may have to start with this version until you move down the list and try some healthier ones.

Ingredients:

1/4 C All Purpose Flour

1/8 C Light Buttery Spread

1/4 tsp Salt

1 1/3 C Skim Milk

1 C Cubed 2% Cheddar Cheese

Put all ingredients except cheese in saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer until thickened. Slowly add in cheese and stir until melted. Pour over Cooked Whole Wheat noodles.

- To up the 'ante' a bit (is that how you say it? haha) Add in some cooked, pureed sweet potato! Its BARELY noticeable and YUMMY!

2) Vegan Option #1 - Some random ingredients, but you will be amazed at the result!

No one will know its not cheese!

From Vitamix Cookbook:

Ingredients:

1 C Water

2 Tbl Lemon Juice

1/4 C Canned Pimientos (or 1 large roasted red pepper)

1/2 C Cashews or Almonds (soaking them beforehand helps)

1 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 C Nutritional Yeast (found at whole foods in bins)

2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 C Boiling Water

2 Tbl Potato Starch mixed with 1/4 C Cold Water

Put all ingredients (except last two) in high powered blender. Blend until steam comes out of lid. Pour boiling water and potato starch into blender and blend slowly until thickened.

-or just put ingredients (except last two) in regular blender, and blend until smooth Put in pot and bring to boiling. Add the 1 1/2 C water and potato starch mixture. Slowly simmer until thickened.

3) Vegan option #2 - This one is probably my favorite!

Don't let vegan scare you - this is so good for you and So easy!! My kids LOVED it!

Try this one out!

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Fast Weeknight Dinner

This is probably one of my easiest weeknight dinners. Love it! A healthy take on the good old Fried Rice. Whenever I make Brown Rice, (always try to eat brown over white), I make TONS of it and freeze it in ziplocks. It freezes beautifully and it's so easy to throw into anything!

This one is stocked full of veggies and tofu! Another recipe from Ellie Krieger. I love her recipes - and she does a GREAT job at disguising tofu!!! Don't run away - try this!

Photo from foodnetwork.com

You can find the recipe HERE! ENJOY!!!

note: Tofu is found in the refrigerated section of the produce side of your grocery store.

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Eggplant!!

That's right! Don't run.

I love to use vegetables that are in season, to stretch my money further.

Eggplant is great in the summer, and surprisingly not bad!

(My baby could not stop eating it!)

Give this a try before you judge! ;)

I have tried a few recipes, but here is one of my favorites, and I am sure there will be more eggplant recipes coming! (Don't get too excited!)

Pasta with Roasted Eggplant Sauce

Ingredients:

2 small firm Eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes

Some Olive Oil

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

6 Garlic Cloves

1 lb. Whole Wheat Pasta

1 Medium Yellow Onion

1 28 oz. can Crushed Sant Marzano or any other canned plum tomatoes

1 C Fresh Basil Leaves, shredded and torn

Directions:

1) Heat Oven to 425. Cook Pasta according to directions

2) Place Eggplant and garlic cloves (whole cloves just cracked from the skins) on cookie sheet. Spritz with Olive Oil or dip a brush in it and spread it lightly over the vegetables. Sprinkle with S&P and roast 20 minutes or until both are tender.

3) Preheat large skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 Tbl of Olive Oil to pan. Cook the Onions. Place cooked Eggplant and Garlic in food processor and process until thick paste. Add the eggplant paste to onions and stir in tomatoes. Season with more S&P. Toss the drained pasta with sauce and cover with torn basil. Top with a little Parmesan cheese.

NOTE: Grilled Chicken would be amazing in this as well!!!!

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats

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Cilantro Lentil Soup

This soup is a Gem! People will think you brought home take out!

The flavors are so simple, yet amazing. If you are looking for a different soup to spice up your menus, this one is it for sure. Totally easy and full of healthy benefits! They are made with lentils, which are a legume. Many vegetarians use them for protein. They contain tons of fiber, with little calories. For more info read HERE.

Photo from http://newyork.seriouseats.com

Ingredients:

1 Cup Dried Lentils

2 Garlic Cloves, peeled, chopped

3 C water, or Veggie broth

1 Tbl Olive Oil

1 Onion, peeled, diced

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp curry powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 C Tomato Paste

4 C Water, or Veggie Broth (or chicken broth)

1 Tbl fresh Lemon Juice

2 Potatoes, baked, un-peeled, and quartered

1 1/2 Tbl Fresh Cilantro loosely chopped

Directions:

1) Wash Lentils and cook with one garlic clove in 3 Cups of water or broth. Until liquid is absorbed. (about 25 minutes)

2) In a 2-quart pot. Sauté Onion and Garlic Clove in Oil. Until soft. Add spices and tomato paste. Mix well.

3) Add remaining 4 Cups of water or Broth and Lemon Juice. Bring to Boil. Remove from heat.

4) Work in batches and place soup, lentils, (I wish I had reserved some to add in at the end, it depends on what texture you want), potatoes, and cilantro into blender. Blend until smooth.

Enjoy immediately - you could use Low Fat Greek yogurt as a sour cream topping!

(Recipe from Vita-mix cookbook)

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