Soy Banana Bread

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp soy flour
1 1/3 cup white flour
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup dry milk powder
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup water
1 cup mashed bananas (2-3)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*. Sift together the flours, baking powder and soda, salt, sugar, and milk powder. Cut shortening into dry ingredients. Add egg, water, bananas and nuts and mix just until moistened. Spread batter in a greased 9x5x3" loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove loaf from pan to cool. Delicious warm or toasted. (This loaf can tend to be a bit dry, which is why it's best either warm or toasted. I have never worked with it to make it more moist, though it would certainly be possible.)

Economy Pancake Syrup

I used this in a pinch. Certainly not as good as the real thing, but it's cheap and it works. 

1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
3 cups water
5 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp maple flavoring

Combine all except the maple flavoring in a saucepan. Cook until slightly thickened. Add maple flavoring. Serve immediately and store remaining sauce in fridge.

Pilgrim Bread

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup brown sugar
1Tbsp salt
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup oil
2 pkg dry yeast in
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rye flour
4 1/4 - 4 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

Combine cornmeal, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Gradually stir this mixture into the boiling water. Add oil. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup of warm water. Add yeast to cornmeal mixture. Beat in the whole wheat flour and rye flour. By hand, stir in the remaining flour. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in warm place until double. Punch dough down; turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half and knead a second time for 3 minutes. Shape dough into 2 loaves and place in greased pans. Cover and let rise again in warm place until double in bulk. Bake at 375* about 45 minutes.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

4 cups whole wheat flour (divided)
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 Tbsp salt
2 pkg. dry yeast
3 cups water or potato water (potato water somehow makes a softer, more flavorful dough)
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp oil
4-4 1/2 cups white flour

Combine in mixer bowl 3 cups of the whole wheat flour, the dry milk powder, salt, and yeast. Heat water, honey, and oil in a saucepan until warm. Pour warm (not hot) liquid over flour mixture. Beat with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Stir in the rest of the whole wheat flour and the white flour. Knead for 5 minutes, using additional white flour if necessary. Place in a greased bowl, turn, and let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down, divide dough in half and shape into loaves. Place in greased 9x5" bread pans. Cover and let rise 40-45 minutes. Bake at 375* for 40-45 minutes.

Peasant Meal

1.5 potatoes per person
1 onion for every 5 potatoes
Olive oil
Wieners, sausage or bacon (whatever you have on hand - doesn't have to be lots)
2 Tbsp - 1/4 cup pasta sauce (approximately)
Water

Peel and dice potatoes and put into a pot. Add chopped onion. Fry potatoes and onion in oil, stirring frequently, especially as they are almost fully cooking. Slice wieners (or sausage or bacon) and add to potato mixture. Add just enough pasta sauce to give it a bit of flavor. Add just enough water to soften the potatoes and make a bit of a sauce. Once the potatoes are fully cooked, your meal is ready!

Chicken A La King

Comfort food. Tastes delicious over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or biscuits. 

8-10 lbs. whole chickens (usually one two-pack)
1 cup butter
1lb. fresh white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups half-and-half (or light cream)
3 cups water
2 Tbsp chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp black pepper
4 green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled

Clean and cook both chickens
Cool and pull meat from bones. Discard skin and bones. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. (A whole chicken will yield about 1 cup of meat per pound.) Divide chicken evenly among freezer bags.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring, until soft. Add flour; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Mixture will be lumpy. Gradually add cream, then water, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Whisk to make a smooth sauce. Stir in bouillon and black pepper. Cool sauce.

Divid cooled sauce evenly over the chicken. Divide bell peppers evenly among the bags of chicken.

Seal and freeze.

To Cook One Entree:
Completely thaw one entree in fridge. Simmer the chicken and sauce in a large skillet over medium heat until warmed through. Do not boil.

Cooking Methods for Whole Chickens

I prefer to buy whole chickens instead of packages of chicken breasts or wings or thighs or various other packages available. While the packages seem more convenient, I find far more value in a whole chicken. For every whole chicken I buy, I can get several meals'-worth of broth, plus at least four meals'-worth of meat. For almost every chicken recipe I use, the meat comes from chicken I have cooked right after purchasing a whole chicken, and then frozen into meal-size portions.

Slow Cooker
My favorite way to cook a chicken is in the slow cooker. I do it the same way each time, but just vary the spices and vegetables. I put the chicken into the slow cooker, then add vegetables if I want to. Sometimes I don't add any veggies, though. It just depends on what I have in my fridge. If I do use vegetables, I tend to keep it simple. I will use celery, onions, garlic, and carrots - either one, some, or all of those. Then I add a few peppercorns, lots of salt, and I like to add fresh sprigs of thyme and/or rosemary. Here's a secret: put in whole anise. It adds a hint of flavor that is unparalleled in chicken broth. Then I cover it all with water and cook it for 8-10 hours on low. When deciding which veggies and seasonings to use, I sometimes go according to a specific chicken soup I'd like to make that week. I make the broth using the spices called for in that specific recipe. I don't do this all the time. Mostly I just "wing it."

Stock Pot
Another way I cook my chickens is as prescribed in my Warrior Chicken Soup recipe. This is my absolute favorite flavored chicken broth.

Oven Roasting
And a third way, in case you don't have a slow cooker or a huge stock pot for the above methods, is the oven roasting method. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan with a cup or two of water and a bay leaf or two. Bake covered at 350* for approximately an hour. (Times will vary depending on the size of your chicken.)

What to do once the chicken is cooked?
First, take the chicken out and place it on a large platter. Let it cool a bit (but not completely - just until cool enough to handle with your fingers). Put a huge bowl or large pot into your sink, then put a mesh strainer over top of the bowl. (Mine nicely props up in the sink so I don't need to hold it.) Then pour all the liquid and vegetables that are still in the pot through the strainer. Let that cool. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard it. Then start picking all the meat off the bones. Once the broth is cool enough, ladle it into freezer containers in 2-cup portions. Freeze. Once the meat is cooled, put it into freezer bags in 1-2 cup portions. Put all the little bags into one big freezer bag and freeze. Voila!

Salisbury Meatballs

This recipe makes 6 main dishes. What I like about it is that it doesn't use condensed soup as the base for the sauce. The sauce is made from scratch and is well worth the effort.

6 lbs. lean ground beef
3 cups dry bread crumbs
2/3 cup milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup minced onion
2 Tbsp minced garlic (about 18 cloves)
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper

SAUCE:
1 cup butter
1-1/2 lbs fresh white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour
8 cups water
4 cups half and half or light cream
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp beef bouillon granules
1-1/2 tsp black pepper

6 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled

Preheat the oven to 500*. Using your hands, thoroughly combine beef, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Shape into 1- to 1-1/2-inch meatballs, placing them close together on lightly greased broiler pans or rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball reads 160*F. Cool meatballs.

While the meatballs are baking and cooling, melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in flour. Mixture will be lumpy. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in water and cream; cook, stirring, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Whisk to make a smooth sauce. Add Worcestershire sauce, bouillon, and pepper; stir. Cool sauce. (If the sauce seems thin before freezing it, resist the temptation to thicken it with more flour. When the entree comes out of the freezer and is reheated, the sauce will be considerably thicker than it was before freezing.)

Divide cooled meatballs and sauce evenly among the freezer bags. Seal and freeze.

To Cook One Entree:
Completely thaw one entree in the fridge. Prepare on the stove or in the oven.

Stove Top:
Bring meatballs and sauce to a simmer in a large skillet over medium heat until meatballs are heated through. Do not boil.

Oven:
Preheat the oven to 350*. Pour meatballs and sauce into an ungreased baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until meatballs are heated through.

Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles.

Basic Red Sauce

This is an all-purpose tomato sauce that you can use for pasta, pizza, and various other dishes that require a tomato base (anywhere a red sauce is needed). The great thing is you don't have to cook it, and you can freeze it in small portions. I like to freeze mine in large ziploc bags in portions of about 6-8 cups, as well as in 2-cup size reusable plastic containers.

4 12-oz. cans tomato paste
8 cups hot water
1/2 cup dried parsley
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced garlic (about 36 cloves
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp salt
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried thyme
4 28oz. cans tomato sauce
4 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes

Mix tomato paste and hot water in a large stockpot until smooth. Stir in parsley, onion, garlic, sugar, salt, basil, oregano, and thyme.

Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes; mix well. Do not cook.

Measure sauce into appropriate portions for immediate use. Divide remaining sauce evenly among freezer bags and/or containers for later use.

Seal and label each bag/container with amount of sauce inside. Freeze.

Old Fashioned Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 whole fryer chicken
1-12oz. package spaghetti noodles
1-16oz. (1lb) package Velveeta cheese, cubed
1-10.5oz. can cream of chicken soup
1-14oz. can chicken broth or 2 cups reserved broth
1/2 cup butter
1-8oz. package shredded mild or sharp Cheddar cheese
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 celery ribs, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped

Fill a big stock pot with water. Clean and rinse whole fryer or chicken pieces. Add chicken. Add a little seasoning salt, pepper and poultry seasoning while the chicken cooks, if desired. Wash hands after handling the chicken. Let the chicken come to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done. Cook whole fryers about 2 hours and chicken breasts or pieces 45-50 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and place on a plate to cool. Drain the broth through a strainer and reserve.

Cook the spaghetti per package directions, but instead of cooking the spaghetti in water, use the reserved broth. Add spaghetti and bring to a boil, reduce heat adn simmer noodles until al dente.

While spaghetti noodles are cooking, start deboning the chicken (if it is cook enough to handle), or break chicken breasts into smaller pieces.

Chop up all the vegetables and set aside.

Melt butter in a small skillet and add the vegetables. Saute until vegetables are tender and translucent in color.

When noodles are done, drain and set aside. If you are not using canned chicken broth, reserve 2 cups of the cooked broth.

In a large bowl, combine Velveeta cheese, chicken broth and cream of chicken soup. Place in the microwave and cook on low for 5-7 minutes or until mixture is smooth and cheese is melted. (You can also use the defrost setting.) To the cheese mixture, add cooked vegetables with butter, spaghetti noodles and chicken pieces. STir to combine.

Spray a 9-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and add combined mixture. Top finished casserole with 8oz. of shredded Cheddar cheese. Place casserole in a preheated 350* oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and casserole is bubbly. Remove from oven, let cool, and serve.

Time saver note: If a 9x13-inch dish is too big for your family, youc an prepare 2 8x8-inch size dishes instead. Serve one for dinner and freeze the second one for a quick meal another night. To freeze, assemble the casserole, then cover the unbaked casserole with plastic wrap, and two layers of foil. Date and place in the freezer. To cook, remove casserole from the freezer. Defrost and proceed with baking instructions.

Ginger Beef

This recipe can easily be decreased to make enough for only one meal, but I like to use the full recipe because it cannot get any easier to get two or three main dishes into the freezer. It's so quick and simple, but it is jam-packed with delicious flavor. Not only that, but it's also effortless to cook and serve! I like to serve this over plain rice.

6 lbs. sirloin tip beef or other beef suitable for slow cooking
3 cups water
9 scallions, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
3.4 cup soy sauce
6 tsp beef bouillon granules
6 tsp minced ginger
6 tsp minced garlic
3 one-gallon freezer bags

Rinse and trim beef as desired. Cut into thick strips, about 2 by 5 inches. (The beef should not be in bite-sized pieces.) Divide beef evenly among the 1-gallon freezer bags.

Into each bag of beef measure 1 cup water, 1/2 cup scallions, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tsp beef bouillon, 2 tsp ginger, and 2 tsp garlic.

Seal and freeze.

To cook one entree:
Thaw one entree in the fridge or cook it straight from the freezer. Put beef and broth into slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until beef is fork tender.

Stanley Pudding

Another recipe from Melodie.

Mix together:
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1cup rhubarb (cut up)
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Pour into a medium size rounded casserole dish or something similar

Mix and pour over top:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup hot water
1 Tbsp butter

Don't stir it in, just pour liquid over top and then bake at 375* for 1/2 hr or more, till golden and bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. YUM!

Rhubarb Punch

Even though I grew up eating rhubarb in various dishes and forms, I had never heard of Rhubarb Punch until my dear friend, Melodie, served some to me during a rare, but treasured lunch together. I knew immediately that I had discovered a new favorite way to use rhubarb! Nothing tastes like summer like this refreshing beverage!

4 cups rhubarb (cut up)
6 cups water

Cook till tender and strain, keeping the juice, throw away pulp.
Add 1 cup sugar to juice.
Let cool and then add 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/2c frozen orange juice concentrate.
You can drink it as is, or add a splash of soda to give it some fizz :)

Spring Lemon Dressing

Peel a lemon & place in blender along with:

2 T. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/4-1/3 c. honey (to your taste)
1" chunk of ginger-coarsely chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Puree until smooth.
Serve over fresh greens (or your choice of fresh vegetables)

Danish Cream Squares

A simple dessert that can be made ahead of time and does not need to be baked in the oven!
 
Graham wafers
Vanilla pudding & pie filling, 6-serving size
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups whipping cream (500 ml)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 square semi-sweet chocolate
1 teaspoon butter or margrine

Line 9 x 13 inch ungreased pan with whole graham wafers, trimming to fit.
Cook pudding with milk as directed, using only 2 1/2 cups of milk.
Allow to cool; spread over graham crackers in pan.
Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff. Spread over pudding.
Put on another layer of whole graham crackers, trimming to fit.
Mix icing sugar and milk together well...it needs to be fairly runny (add more milk or sugar if necessary). Spread over cracker layer.
Melt chocolate with butter (in microwave). Drizzle over top. Chill. Let stand overnight before using.

Simple Banana Bread

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup mashed banana's
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs

Cream sugar, shortening, and eggs.  Add flour, salt and bananas.  Mix well.  Add baking soda last, do not over mix.

Bake at 350 for approx 45 - 50 mins.

Pear Cranberry Upside Down Cake

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups firmly packed light-brown sugar
3 firm but ripe pears, such as Anjou
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup cranberries
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3 large eggs
1 cup milk, room temperature
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 6 tablespoons butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar in a medium skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until melted and thoroughly combined, about 6 minutes. Pour into a 10-by-2-inch professional round cake pan.

Peel pears, core, and slice into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Coat with lemon juice, and arrange on top of brown-sugar mixture in a spiral pattern around edge of pan. Fan out slices in center. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cranberries over pears, and set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger together in a medium bowl, and set aside. Combine remaining 6 tablespoons of butter with remaining cup brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add milk alternately with flour mixture, beginning and ending with four; beat until smooth. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup cranberries; pour over fruit in pan. Bake until a tester inserted in the center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around eggs and invert onto a serving platter. Serve with spice ice cream.

Summer Bean Salad

3 cups edamame
2-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a microwaveable dish. Heat on high in microwave for 4-5 minutes. Also good cold.

My Favorite Salad

In summer, I eat some variation of this salad on an almost-daily basis. I simply cannot get enough of it. It's filling, completely healthy, and refreshing. It's cheap, too!

1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and then cut into small slices or pieces
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (Or your own cooked chickpeas)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh is best)
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup fresh parsley (optional)
Sprinkle of dried oregano (optional)

Combine all ingredients and toss well. Keeps for a few days in the fridge. You can omit whichever ingredients you don't want or don't have on hand. You can also substitute other veggies. I sometimes make this without the chickpeas and use a head of romaine lettuce to use this as a side salad for a meal. If I make it as written above, it's the entire meal for me.

Ravioli Soup

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan
3.4 tsp. onion salt
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 finely chopped onion
1 28-oz. can Italian style or plain crushed tomatoes in puree
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 14-1/2-oz. can beef broth or bouillon
1 cup water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 12-oz. package of ravioli or tortellini (If you can find MINI ravioli or tortellini, it's even better!)
Parmesan to sprinkle on top

Add everything together except the pasta. Cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the broth after broth has cooked 30 minutes.

Yogurt Onion Sauce

1 small red onion, finely diced (you can use regular onion, if you’re in a pinch)
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced

Place onion in a bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well with your fingers and let it rest while you prep the rest of the sauce. In a small bowl, stir remaining sauce ingredients together, including the rest of the salt. When the onion is translucent and watery, rinse it well in a colander and add to the yogurt mixture. Stir well and set it aside until you’re ready to serve.

Tzatziki

500g Mediterranean yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, strained in cheesecloth over a strainer for a few hours to thicken)
5 Tbsp sour cream
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of mint
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a drop of lemon or lemon rind
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 a cucumber, peeled, and grated, then squeezed well in a dish towel

Mix it all together and enjoy! You can vary it according to your tastes.

Serve with pita chips! Yum!

Hot Spiced Fruit

The aroma of this dish alone makes it fun to make and serve. A true autumn/winter dish. 

1 16-oz. can sliced peaches with liquid
1 17-oz. can pears with liquid
1 15-oz. can pineapple chunks with liquid
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Mix together all these ingredients, with the fruits undrained. Simmer for 1 hour. Try fixing in a crockpot. Good with ham or as a topping for ice cream!

Sweet Dressing

There are two variations for this dressing. The one without mayonnaise is, naturally, healthier.

1.
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1-1/2 tsp honey
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
Blend thoroughly with a wire whisk.

2.
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
Blend thoroughly with a wire whisk.

Hummus

This is the quickest and best-tasting hummus recipe I’ve found. I have found hummus to be versatile and find that people have different taste preferences. This one is our favorite. 

1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, fresh, chopped
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a blender or mini food processor and puree until smooth.

Hummus is great as a dip with fresh veggies or pita chips, or as a spread for sandwiches, wraps, etc.

Creamy Caesar Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard (Some people might like more. Depends on your tastes.)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (You can substitute half of the mayo for plain yogurt.)

Waldorf Salad

2 medium apples, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, broken
1/4 cup raisins

Combine and serve with Sweet Dressing.

Three Bean Salad

This salad keeps for quite awhile in the fridge. It is hearty and satisfying as a main dish and makes a quick lunch when you have it waiting ready in the fridge. It’s also a perfect accompaniment to Roasted Root Vegetables along with a bread or bun of some sort for a great meal!

Prepare marinade:
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried parsley flakes)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Blend well, either in a blender, or with a whisk, or shake it vigorously in a tightly closed jar.

2 cups cut green beans (fresh or frozen cooked, chilled)
1 cup kidney beans
1 cup chickpeas
1/2 red onion, chopped

Toss with desired amount of marinade.

Roasted Root Vegetables

4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1 rutabaga or turnip, peeled, thinly sliced (optional, but adds a nice color)
2 medium carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 medium head cabbage, coarsely shredded
olive oil
rosemary
salt, to taste

Put all vegetables together in a 9×13 baking dish. Put just enough olive oil on them to lightly coat them all. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary and toss well. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375*F for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.

Serve with:
Three Bean Salad
Biscuits and Jam

Orange Tossed Salad

2 cups iceberg lettuce
2 cups leafy lettuce
1 rib celery
1 medium orange, peeled, chopped
1 medium banana, peeled, sliced
apple, chopped (optional)
carrot, grated (optional)

Toss all together with Sweet Dressing.

Fresh Kimchi

This is in my Top 5 Salads list. I cannot get enough of this. And it has all the benefits of the Fresh Cabbage Salad but with more flavor and much less sugar!!!! While it keeps in the fridge for a few days, be warned that the longer it sits, the spicier it gets! My kids can’t seem to handle it after the first day.

1/2 a head of Chinese cabbage, cored and slivered
2 green onions, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sesame oil (Use any other mild-flavored oil if you don’t have sesame. You won’t get the same flavor, but it will still be good.)
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp white or rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar or honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste (I use 1 tsp and it’s almost too hot for us!)

Combine cabbage and green onions in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until sugar dissolves. Pour over salad and toss until well coated.

Fresh Cabbage Salad

It’s surprising how such a simple recipe could add so much to a meal. We absolutely love this salad. My husband is not a fan of coleslaw at all, but this salad was not a problem for him to eat! And it’s also probably the cheapest salad you’ll make for a family. An added bonus is that this salad will keep for several days in the fridge, greatly adding to the economical value. No wasted fresh vegetables!

1/2 a head of green cabbage, cored and slivered
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 sugar or honey
2 Tbsp olive oil

Combine cabbage and carrot in a medium bowl. Whisk remaining ingredients together in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour over salad and toss until well coated.

Energy Salad

This salad is a good example of a truly healthy dish that really doesn’t have to cost much. It’s raw. It’s sugar-free. It’s delicious. And my kids have loved it since they were toddlers. (Girls especially like the “pink” from the beets.)

1 raw beet
1 apple, grated
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup cabbage, finely sliced
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds (I don’t always add these because I don’t often have them on hand.)
Small handful raisins (or other dried fruit)
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice or orange juice
1 tsp honey

Combine grated beet, apple, carrot, and cabbage in bowl. Mix in sunflower seeds and dried fruit. In separate bowl, mix oil, juice and honey together until well blended. Pour mixture over salad and toss until salad is evenly coated.