Cilantro Lime Quinoa

I've made this side dish before with all dried herbs and really liked it. So now that I've been cooking more with essential oils I thought it would be perfect to experiment with. I like it so much better with the oils than with the dried herbs. The taste seems to be more light and refreshing. And with this recipe you don't add the oils until the quinoa is cooled down so you get all of the amazing bennifits from the oils without changing their chemical make up, making this dish extremely healthy. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa (rinsed)

2 cups water

1 teaspoon better than bullion

1 drop cilantro doTERRA essential oil

2 drops lime doTERRA essential oil

1 toothpick dipped into black pepper doTERRA essential oil

1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Salt to taste

Directions

Combine quinoa, water and better than bullion into medium sauce pan over high heat until it starts to boil. Then reduce heat to low and let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and cover for 5 minutes. Uncover and let cool to warm. Then while using a metal spoon, drop oils onto spoon and stir very well to combine oils. Add remaining ingredients, serve and enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

I have so many recipes to share with you. I've had a lot of fun in the kitchen for the past few weeks now. It was hard to decided which recipe to start with. I ended up choosing this one because one, I am teaching a *'cooking with essential oils' class tomorrow and two, because it's summer and fresh salsa is the best to take to pot luck dinners, to a BBQ, or to just eat at home. I really like how this recipe turned out. It tastes just like the name I picked out for it, 'fresh' and also light. I thought it had the perfect combination of lime and just a hit of heat from the anaheim peppers. I will have to tell you that two of my children, the ones with a very sensitive tough that can't handle mild store bought salsa, didn't like it. They thought it was too quote "Spicy". I think maybe I should have chopped up the onion a little more when I finally had them try it. :] My one child who claims to like spicy food just loved it. Pretty good for a 4 year old. I've had people try it that didn't like lime, that love lime and both said they really liked it. I've taken it to a pot luck dinner and it got good reviews there too. So I hope you enjoy this Fresh tomato salsa!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

3 vine ripened tomatoes-diced

1/2 cup minced onion (about 1/2 small onion)

2 anaheim peppers, minced

3 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dried parsley

3 drops doTERRA lime essential oil

2 drops doTERRA cilantro essential oil

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a glass or metal bowl add all ingredients except for the essential oils, mix well. Using a metal spoon drop oils onto spoon and then stir into salsa mixture. Mix for about 1 minute to make sure oils are completely dispersed into vegetables. Refrigerate until read to serve (the longer it sits in the fridge the more the flavors can marry and make it taste that much better! ) with your choice or tortilla chips and enjoy!!

*To join the class simply to go https://www.facebook.com/events/406835429366735/ and click on the link, or go to www.anymeeting.com/azdoterra1 .This is a free class you can watch my power point and listen to me teach about essential oils and cooking all from the comfort of your own home. :]

Vegetable Quesidillas

I hope everyone (that lives in the states) had a great President's Day yesterday. I know we did! It's always nice to get together with family for any holiday.

I've been wanting to find easy and quick dishes that have lots of vegetables in them. I found this recipe and couldn't wait to try it. It was very easy, quick, and the flavor was wonderful! I've made these several times for lunch when I didn't have left overs to eat. :] I added some cooked chicken once too and they were great as a dinner. So there are a few different things you can do with this recipe, and it's gluten free!

Veggie Stuffed Quesadillas

Ingredients

2 small green and/or red sweet peppers, cut into thin strips

1 small onion, diced

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 teaspoon butter or olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon parsley

3 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese

5 6 to 7 inch whole wheat or brown rice tortillas

salsa

low fat sour cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 425* F. in a large non stick skillet cook sweet peppers, onion, and garlic in butter for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are crisp-tender. Stir in cumin and chili powder, cook and stir for one minute more. Stir in parsley. Set aside. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese over half of 1 side of each tortilla. Top with pepper onion mixture. Fold tortilla in half over peppers, pressing slightly. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Place tortillas on a large baking sheet. Brush tortillas with a little butter. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Then turn off oven and turn on broil on high for 2 minutes, this makes them nice and crispy. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve warm. Dip in salsa and sour cream, and enjoy!!

Spelt Onion Rings

A couple of weeks ago my parents took us out for lunch. We went to a place called Ice Berg. My husband ordered their onion rings. They were huge!! They smelled so good and I wish that I would have been able to eat them. So I went home and started to search the Internet for healthier recipes for onion rings that are baked, not fried. I found a few, but they just didn't taste all that good. So I decided to make up my own recipe, and let me tell you we have a winner!! These onion rings are perfect! They have more flavor than any onion rings I've ever had before. The onion is cooked perfectly and the crust is delightfully crunchy, and yes they are baked not fried. What more could you want? I served these during our Supper Bowl party and they were a huge hit. My in-laws loved them! I hope you do too!

Spelt Onion Rings

Ingredients

2 small onions

1/2 cup spelt flour

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

dash of salt

1 cup spelt bread crumbs* (about 3 slices of spelt bread, click here for recipe for spelt bread)

2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 eggs, beaten

vegetable non stick cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 450*F. Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil. Cut off both ends of the onions. Then slice the onions into 1/4 inch slices. Separate into rings and place in bowl of cold water. (The smaller inside rings save for another use) Combine spelt flour, baking powder, and salt in a shallow dish. Put eggs into a separate shallow dish. Combine bread crumbs and garlic powder in a third shallow dish.

Working with one onion ring at a time, remove ring from water, shake off any excess water, dip into flour mixture making sure to coat entire ring, shake off any excess flour. Then dip floured ring into egg mixture coating entire ring, shake off any excess egg. Next dip into bread crumb mixture, making sure to coat entire ring. Place ring on lined cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray. Continue the same dipping method with remaining rings.

Bake in oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and turn each ring over and spray with cooking spray. Return to the oven and cook for another 8 minutes. Let cool slightly then serve and enjoy!!

*For my spelt bread crumbs, I cut three slices of my spelt bread and then leave them out over night for drying. Or I put them on a plate in my window seal in the sun for quick drying. I found that to make the crumbs it is easiest to put the slices of bread (broken into smaller pieces) in my blender and blend until fine.

Herb Roasted Vegetables

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season filled with happiness, joy, and of course good healthier food. :]

I've made these herb roasted vegetables several times. They are so yummy! The best part is that the herbs that I used seem to go with so many different vegetables. So if you don't have something from the recipe, just use what you have at home. I'll give you the recipe I used when I took this pictures. But it really is so good with a variety of squash too. :] Enjoy!

Herb Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided

2 teaspoons onion powder, divided

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, divided

1 teaspoon dried parsley leaves, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, divided

1/4 teaspoon dried dill seeds, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1/4 teaspoons pepper, divided

7 small/medium potatoes, quarted

1 small onion, cut into wedges

1 medium crooked neck squash, sliced

2 Roma tomatoes, quarted

1 red sweet pepper

1 orange sweet pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425*F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a gallon sized Ziploc baggie put half of all of the herbs. Then add potatoes and onions. Close the bag and shake until all of the potatoes and onions are covered evenly with the herbs. Spread them on parchment lined cookie sheet and put in preheated oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender but still firm.

While potatoes are cooking; Add the second half of the herbs to your Ziploc baggie. Put all of the remaining vegetables into baggie, close and shake to coat evenly.

When the potatoes are soft but not complete cooked, remove from oven and stir. Add the remaining vegetables to the cookies sheet with the potatoes and return to the oven. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until potatoes and other vegetables are cooked to desired doneness, stirring them once. Serve warm and enjoy!

Stuffed Tomatoes

I had to give you two pictures with this recipe. With the cheese on top you just couldn't see all of the goodness from the stuffing. This was heavenly! My son who does not like tomatoes even ate it. The slight spice from the turkey sausage pared with the sweetness from the tomato is delightful and very filling. Most people would serve this as a side, but I would suggest that this could be the main attraction. It has plenty of heartiness with the sausage. Your family or guests will love it!

Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients

6 large ripe tomatoes

1 cup crushed Gluten Free crackers (I use these)

2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 small onion, diced

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 teaspoons butter

1 4oz. can diced green chilies

1 recipe turkey sausage, see below

Directions

Preheat oven to 400*F. Cut the tops off of the tomatoes and use a knife to cut around the inside, separating the flesh from the skin. Scoop out the flesh and set aside to use for later. Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish. In a sauce pan, saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add flesh from the tomatoes, crackers, sausage, and green chilies; mix well. In the bottom of each tomato put a little cheese. Then fill with sausage mixture. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove and top with remaining cheese and return to oven to bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Turkey Sausage

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground turkey

1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

3/4 teaspoon evaporated cane juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

In a bowl combine all ingredients well. In a sauce pan cook turkey sausage on medium high heat until cooked through; continually stirring to break up turkey so that it resembles cooked hamburger.

Orange Baked Acorn Squash

A few Sundays ago I wasn't feeling very well. My husband was home and decided that he was going to experiment for me. He found this recipe and then asked me what changes I would make to it if I were going to cook it. He made this amazing Orange Baked Acorn Squash. I had never had Acorn Squash before. I had no idea how it tasted. Well let me tell you, this way is delicious! I love how the orange mixes with the apple to give the squash a nice sweet taste. I would never have thought to put those two flavors together but they work. And they work well! I had some of my family try this. Those who liked squash loved it, those who don't care that much for squash loved it. If you have never tried an Acorn Squash and want to, use this recipe!

Orange Baked Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 acorn squash, halved and de-seeded

1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed but not diluted

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2 teaspoons organic brown sugar

1 apple, peeled de-seeded and cut in half

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*F. Fill a 2 qt. baking dish with 1/2 inch of water. Place squash halves cut side down in the dish, and bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven. In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, butter, and organic brown sugar. Remove squash from oven. Turn squash halves cut side up in the baking dish. Drizzle a little of the orange mixture in the middle of the squash. Place half of the apple in each of the squash and drizzle the remaining orange mixture over the squash, making sure to drizzle on the sides too. Return to oven and continue baking for 25 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!!

Garlicky Butternut Squash

How is your garden doing? Mine is doing awesome! I have so many squash that are coming, but not quite ready. I'm getting so excited for more experimenting with them! I loved this recipe. My kids liked it too. My little 2 year old would ask for more and more. I was reluctant to give him more because I wanted to have left overs. :] I took it as a compliment that he liked it so much, and yes I did give him as much as he wanted. This really does have a perfect blend of garlic without taking away from the squash itself, and very easy to make for a side dish. You can cook your main dish while this is baking. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!

Garlicky Butternut Squash

Ingredients

2 tablespoons dried parsley leaves

3 tablespoon butter, melted (ICBINB)

1 tablespoon dried minced garlic

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes, 1 medium or 1/2 of a large squash

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 400*F. In a large bowl, combine the parsley, butter, garlic, and salt. Add squash and toss to coat. Transfer to a shallow parchment lined 2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. At 20minutes remove from oven and stir gently. Put back in oven and continue cooking for remaining 20 minutes or until squash is just tender. Top with cheese, serve warm and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Casserole

This picture doesn't do the flavor of this dish justice! It was so delicious! Defiantly a must if you like butternut squash and want a different way to cook it. In fact this recipe is also going to go with my Thanksgiving recipes. The flavors are so rich and very filling. I got the original recipe here while searching for more butternut squash recipes.

Butternut Squash Casserole

Ingredients

1 butternut squash

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice

1 /2 cups rice milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

2 tablespoon barley flour or whole wheat flour

3 eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup butter, melted (ICBINB spray)

TOPPING

1/4 cup brown evaporated cane juice (organic brown sugar)

3 tablespoons butter, melted (ICBINB spray)

2 cups crushed corn flakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 425*F. Cut butternut squash in half and remove seeds. Place squash skin side up on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake until squash is soft and you can insert a knife easily into squash. Then remove from oven and cool until you can handle it. Once it is cooled scoop out squash and put into medium sized bowl and mash. In a 9x13 inch casserole dish combine 3 cups mashed butternut squash, evaporated cane juice, rice milk, vanilla, salt, flour, eggs, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Bake in oven for 45 minutes, or until set. In a medium bowl combine corn flakes, melted butter, and brown evaporated cane juice. Crumble over top of cooked casserole and return to oven to brown.

Potato Salad

I like potato salad, but I do not like store bought potato salad at all. I don't like pickles that much so maybe that is why. But then again this recipe, that I got from my amazing mother, has pickle juice in it. So maybe it is because I like simple potato salad. They put way too many things in store bought potato salad. I like how simple this recipe is and yet it has a very yummy flavor to it. When ever I take it to BBQ's I get tons of good comments about it. People are always shocked when I tell them what is in it. They can't believe that that is it. So if you're looking for a potato salad that is extremely easy to make with lots of wonderful flavor, you've come to the right place. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Potato Salad

Ingredients

16 medium potatoes

14 hard boiled eggs, peeled

1 3/4 cup Fat Free Mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1 1/4 teaspoon mustard

3 tablespoon honey

4 tablespoons pickle juice

Directions
Wash potatoes. Place potatoes in large pot, cover with water, and boil on stove top until you can insert a butter knife easily into the potatoes. Drain water and let cool. In the mean time, in a medium bowl combine Mayonnaise, celery salt, mustard, honey, and pickle juice. Make sure the honey gets completely dissolved. Set aside. Once the potatoes are cooled, peel and then cube. Then cube hard boiled eggs. Combine potatoes, eggs, and sauce in a medium size bowl, making sure the potatoes and eggs are completely covered. Place in fridge until ready to serve.

Logan and Brin's Favorite Salad

(I didn't know my camera had a dirty lens when I took this)

We have been making this fun and yummy salad for a few years now. It is my children's favorite salad, so it is named after them. I know there are a lot of different ways to make it with different dressings, this is just the way we like to make it. When I make it, I make a lot and it doesn't last that long. It is a perfect side dish for grilled chicken and veggies. Or to take to a baby or bridal shower, because you can make it ahead of time and it can be left out on the counter longer than potato salad can. I've taken it many places and people always ask me for the recipe. It's so simple and easy to make. Hope you enjoy it too.

Logan and Brin's Favorite Salad

Ingredients

1 package whole wheat Rotini, rice penne noodles.

2 small package cherry tomatoes

3 cups medium cheddar cheese, cubed and separated

1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 cans whole olives, drained

2 cups broccoli, chopped

2 cucumbers, peeled and cubed

1 16 oz jar Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette dressing

Directions

Cook Rotini according to package directions. After draining the water, rinse well with cold water. (This helps to get off the extra starch and cool the noodles faster) When noodles are cold put into large bowl. Add tomatoes, cheddar cheese, olives, broccoli, and cucumbers. Pour half of the dressing and half of the Parmesan cheese on top and stir well. Next add the remainder of the cheese and a little more of the dressing, about 1/4 of what is left, and stir well. Taste it and see if it is wet enough for your liking. If you think it needs more dressing then add more. It's all about how you like it! Served chilled.

*If serving it the next day you will need to add a little more of the dressing or don't add it until right before serving. It tends to dry out just a little over night.

Variations:

You can take and add different things to this salad. You can add cooked, grilled, chicken and make it more of a main dish. In the fall I add my own cherry tomatoes with small pear tomatoes. I've put sliced sweet bell pepper in it. What ever vegetable you like. Have fun with it.

Baked Scalloped Potatoes

My husband likes scalloped potatoes. So when I saw this recipe, I thought it could be modified pretty easy so we tried it. It turned out really good but there were some extra things I had to do, I'll explain in the directions. It had really good flavor. My kids wanted to eat only this for dinner and not their main dish.

Baked Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

6 large potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 1/4 cup rice milk

1 onion, diced

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons celery salt

2 cups medium cheddar cheese, shredded.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375* F. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Layer potatoes slightly overlapping each other along the bottom of dish. Sprinkle some of the onions on top. Then do another layer of potatoes and more onions. Continue until dish is full of the potatoes and onions. In a medium bowl combine soup, rice milk, pepper, celery salt, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over potatoes. The mixture should cover the potatoes. Cover dish and bake for 60 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. At 40 minutes, remove the dish from oven and take out at least 3/4 cup of the liquid. Uncover and return to oven. At 55 minutes, remove from oven and add cheese on top of dish. Return, uncovered, to oven until cooked through.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

I had never had fruit salsa before. I had so many different fruits in my house and I thought that it sounded yummy. So I tried this recipe, with some changes, and it was so delicious! My kids couldn't stop eating it. And it just gets better each day, if it lasts.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Ingredients

Sauce:

2 apples, diced

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

2 kiwis, peeled and sliced

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

1/2 of a small container of blackberries

1 1/2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice

Juice from 1 key lime

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cinnamon tortilla chips:

1/2 cup melted butter (ICBINB spray)

6 10 inch whole wheat flour tortillas or rice flour tortillas

3 tablespoons evaporated cane juice

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Sauce:

In a medium blow, mix together apples, blackberries, kiwis, bananas, lime juice ,cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add strawberries and sprinkle evaporated cane juice on top. Mix well, being careful not to smash the blackberries. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes or until cinnamon chips are done. Stir before serving.

Cinnamon tortilla chips:

Preheat oven to 375*F. Mix evaporated cane juice and cinnamon in small bowl. Lightly spread a small amount of melted butter over tortillas. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture on top of butter. Place tortillas on cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cut with a pizza cutter like you would cut pizza to make triangle shaped chips. Serve warm with chilled sauce and enjoy!!

Garden Vegetable Casserole

With summer here I just can't get enough of the amazing vegetables that are coming into season. This recipe really calls for the vegetables from your garden in the fall. But I couldn't help but make it at the beginning of the summer. :] I got the original recipe last year and I can't find it anywhere. I thought I got it off Studio 5 on ksl.com. But I can't find it there. Just know that I didn't make it all up on my own, just changed it a little here and there.

Garden Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup chopped zucchini

1/3 cup whole kernel corn or chopped crookneck squash

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup diced Roma tomatoes

1 cup whole wheat pancake mix

1/2 cup rice milk

4 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400*F. Spray 8x8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese into dish covering bottom. Top with zucchini, corn or squash, tomato and onion. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. In a separate bowl, combine pancake mix, rice milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Pour batter over vegetables. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

For Low Gluten

only change out flour to:

1 1/4 cup LG flour mix

and add:

1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum

everything else is the same

Black Bean Salsa

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

I know that's is Wisdom Wednesday, but in lu of Cinco De Mayo I wanted to post a Cinco De Mayo type of food. I got the original recipe off of Studio 5 here. Just the smells alone from the recipe will make your mouth water! I'm not one for heat so if you'd like more heat then add 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced. I don't think it needs more heat heat. The flavors are so fresh!

Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 small onion, diced fine

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/4 bunch cilantro, minced

Juice of 1/2 lime

salt and pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

Add all ingredients into small bowl. Serve with Corn or Multi grain chips. And enjoy the fresh taste!

Soy-Glazed Squash

If you haven't noticed yet, I love squash. I am always looking for new ways to cook it. When I found the original recipe here, I thought it looked yummy and reallya different way to cook it. I'd never had squash in this way before. It was very yummy and I like the changes I made to it. I hope you do too, happy cooking!

Soy-Glazed Squash

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

Orange juice from one orange

3 tablespoons all natural bragg liquid aminos

1 tablespoon organic brown evaporated cane juice

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 425*F. Place squash in a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking pan.

In a small bowl combine orange peel, orange juice, braggs, brown evaporated cane juice, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder. Drizzle over squash, tossing to coat.

Roast, uncovered, in oven for 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring twice. Stir cubes again before serving. Serve warm.