During the hurricane we all developed a "craving" for some cozy comfort foods. Since I picked up 50 pounds of potatoes at the market last week, I figured I'd begin there. 
I have been working on "healthifying" a scalloped potato recipe and this one turned out quite good so I thought I'd share. It's a cross between Lancaster County Potatoes Supreme and old fashioned grama's scalloped potatoes from Thanksgiving. 
This dish still has a good amount of fat but it's all from organic, local dairy. 


Creamy Dill Potatoes

I used all organic ingredients in this since the recipe requires a high amount of dairy. Toxins, hormones, and antibiotics are stored in the animal fat so it is important to either use fat free or organic dairy to protect your body from all the chemicals. 

6 potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin chips, 1/8 th inch
3 cups milk + 3/4 c milk
1/2 stick butter
1 cup freshly shredded cheddar
1-2 T dried dill, fine
Pinch of ground mustard
1/2 -1 t (to your taste) garlic r
1 1/2 t sea salt, if using pink Himalayan use less than 1 t
1/2 c white unbleached, unbromated flour

Spray a large glass dish and put potatoes in dish.
In a large saucepan melt butter (I use stainless steel so I spray my pan).
Add 3 c milk and stir, constantly until quite warm but not boiling.
Meanwhile, whisk rest of milk and flour in small bowl to make a roux -- it will be thick and kind of foamy, if too sticky or stiff, add a little more milk.
Add roux to hot milk mixture and whisk.
Add dill, salt, and garlic powder, continue to whisk.
Mixture should thicken slightly. Do not boil, stir continuously.
Finally, add cheese and continue to whisk until thoroughly melted.
Pour over potatoes.
Be sure they are thoroughly coated.
Cover and bake at 350 til potatoes soft, maybe 45-60 minutes.
Remove cover and bake 15 more minutes til slightly browned.
Serves 8-10 as a generous side.

I have grown conscious of our fat and starch intake but we really enjoy dishes such as this. In order to keep the nutrient density of the meal high, I served this with a lightly steamed veggie, a large salad, and a serving of Swedish meatballs made from local free range, natural beef, and local, all natural chicken Italian sausage. I fill my family's plates in the kitchen to ensure 1/2 their meal is vegetables. 

The wonderful, light, fresh taste of tabouli without the issues accompanying wheat. This is literally the best tabouli I have ever tasted. I love keeping it on hand or a quick lunch for Tony or myself. Super healthy, super tasty, super easy!

Quinoa is becoming one of my favorite grains to work with because of it's nutty taste (I prefer it to rice and use it as a substitute often) and powerful nutrient benefits:

Omega 6 fatty acids
Selenium
Antioxidant protection
Phosphorus
Potassium
Zinc
All essential amino acids for protein
B vitamins and folate
Manganese
Magnesium


Ingredients:
3 cups quinoa

¼ c olive oil

¼ c lemon juice

½ t dried parsley

¼ t dried basil

chopped tomato

1 small or ½ purple onion chopped fine

1 clove garlic pressed

¼ t salt

¼ t pepper, fresh cracked

3 T fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix together in a medium bowl, chill.

Serving Suggestions:
You can serve it as is on the side, as a salad over a bed of lettuce, stuff it into a pita with mozzerella or feta, sprouts, and cucumber, or stuff it into a tomato. Love tabouli -- it's so versatile and made with quinoa, it is packed with nutrients and protein.

YUM! Jamaican food is my favorite!!!!!!!! In fact, I'm thinking maybe we should have a Jamaican Celebration for one of our next international nights. This dish has quite a kick to it but that is adjustable based on your preference. It's one of things I loved about Jamaican food when I visited back in college -- spicy and sweet -- but not like Mexican or Chinese. It's a special flavor all it's own....sweetened with fresh pineapple and fresh squeezed lime juice. This rice makes a perfect side dish for Jerk Chicken Wraps, a regular summer favorite in our house (my favorite because they take no time when I use chicken I already cooked, shredded, and froze! -- family favorite because they love the flavor!). 

Nutritional Benefits of Basmati Rice:
Basmati rice contains 20% more fiber than other brown rices helping to remove even more toxins from the body.
Healthy oils: Omega 6 fatty acids and vitamin E
B vitamins
Zinc
Selenium (necessary for coenzyme Q production which is a critical in energy production)
Choline which is used to make new membranes for the cells
Magnesium which helps combat stress
Manganese

Ingredients:
2-3 cups cooked brown basmati rice
coconut oil for stir frying
1 small onion, chopped small
1 red bell pepper, washed, seeded, chopped into 1/2 inch squares
1/4 fresh pineapple, chopped into 1/2 - 1 inch cubes
touch of ground cayenne, I used 1/4 t and will use at least only 1/2 that much next time -- pow!
1/2 t gd. ginger
1/2 t gd. allspice
3/4 t gd. cinnamon

Stir fry the onion in about 2 T coconut oil until softened. 
Then add another 2 T coconut oil, allow it to melt, and then add the rice. Fry the rice on low until warmed and well mixed with the onion. 
Next, toss in the bell pepper, lime juice, and pineapple and mix well.
Add the spices and mix again. You made need to add a touch more cayenne and allspice depending upon your preference. Serve it up! 

I just found this recipe over at Passionate Homemaking  -- I would say just about every recipe of Lindsey's I have tried has been very flavorful and pretty simple. I love that I can taste the different flavors in the beans rather than just one homogeneous taste...while still tasting like simple baked beans from camp and summer picnics. 

You can use canned beans or dry beans, soaked, your preference. The recipe calls for advance preparation but there is barely any prep -- mostly just time for soaking or low temp. cooking. 

If using dry beans, cover with water and soak 12-18 hours with 2 T acid medium (with beans I prefer to use lemon juice). Rinse well and cook on low in crock pot until beans are soft, usually 5-6 hours. Rinse again and drain. 
Ingredients:

4 cups navy beans (3-4 cans, drained, or 1 1/2 cups dry)
1/2 onion either pureed or chopped and then sauteed
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dry mustard
1/3-1/2 c ketchup 
1/3 c maple syrup or a combo of brown sugar and succanat
1/2 t sea salt

Saute onions til nice and soft in either organic butter, ghee, or coconut oil. Mix with beans a bowl. Whisk other ingredients together in a small bowl and add to beans. Cover and marinate 5 hours - overnight. Heat before serving.  

In the oven as I write....
When we began making some healthful dietary changes I soon became aware of the amazing health benefits of cabbage. However, I had not yet met a cabbage I liked...
I am pleased  to share that I have totally overcome my cabbage phobia! In fact, cabbage, turnips, and many other  previous food "foes" are now amongst my favorite foods.
It all began with this dish I found over at The Nourishing Gourmet. I have modified it her and there but it's essentially the same. I highly recommend trying it!

Ingredients:

1 small cabbage cut into wedges
1 onion sliced into wedges, I prefer purple onions for their sweetness
1/2 t crushed pepper
1 t oregano
1 cup chicken broth
2 T olive, coconut, or grape seed oil (coconut is my favorite here)
pinch of sea salt
1 t fresh ground/cracked pepper
(I also love to add coarsely chopped carrots, turnips, and browned ground turkey -- browned with sea salt, pepper, oregano)

In a greased baking dish, arrange cabbage wedges topped with onion. Add other meat or veggies if desired. Toss with oil of choice. Pour chicken broth over top. Sprinkle with spices. Cover very tightly with foil and cook at a low temp for couple of hours...like 300 or 325. Serve as a main dish or side with a slice of homemade whole wheat bread. 

OK, so I always considered cole slaw as one of the nastiest tasting foods on the planet but my husband and I have recently discovered that homemade slaw can be slammin' if you have the right recipe!
Thank you forever to Heavenly Homemakers for her creamy cole slaw recipe we borrowed and adapted just a bit to our own tastes...it's even better if you use red cabbage. 

Now, I have been making our own mayo for most things we require it for but I recommend using a store bought version for this...there are a mess of organic ones out there to choose from . 

Ingredients:
Food process the following: 
1 small cabbage, red or green -- red is now my favorite
1/4 purple onion
2-3 carrots

Add the above ingredients to mixing bowl and then also add:
1 cup mayo
1 t celery seed
2 t Annies brown mustard (just happened to be what I had)
1 T agave or honey

Mix well and refrigerate. 

Cabbage used to be my all time tops for the "Yuck Food" list. I am now happy to say that this wonderfully ultra healthy, antioxidant-laden, cholesterol lowering cruciferous veggie is now one of my very favorites. 
Gently steaming or stir frying red cabbage increases its ability to help lower blood cholesterol levels as well as remove the bitterness and bring out the natural sweetness hidden away. 

Ingredients:
1/2 head red cabbage, shredded into strips
handful of raisins
1 t purple onion, chopped finely
1/2 t balsamic vinegar
1 T flaxseeds
1 T coconut oil

This is crazy easy and crazy quick.....and sooo good. 
Heat oil in 10+ fry pan over low heat. Add purple onion and cabbage,vinegar, and flaxseed. Add raisins after 3 minutes to plump. You may add salt and pepper to taste. Stir several times to prevent sticking or browning. Cabbage will start to wilt or soften around 4-5 minutes -- remove from heat so as to retain nutrients. Serve as a main dish or side dish. 

We eat TONS of french fries in our home...but I thought fries were bad for you, you say?! Not these ones -- and they are delicious, too...they have to be or my kids would not eat them, especially Jess and Jules who don't eat any other form of potato than french fries -- so, for them, they have to taste like fries.
First, it is great to note that fries can come in many colors and we often serve three varieties at the Myers' table.
When I make them in the same meal, I use different cookie sheets to cook them on because they do have different flavors but mosly because they have differnt cooking times.

Classic Fries:
4-5 large potatoes, peeled (if you prefer -- if they are organic I like to leve some skin on because there are actually nutrients in the skins, moreso than the plain white potato)
2 T coconut oil, melted
sea salt and pepper to taste
Slice potatoes thin and toss on a sprayed, greased cookie sheet. Toss with coconut oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes, checking at ten minute intervals so you can turn them.

"Orange" French Fries
Same ingredients as above except use 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled for sure.

These are Jessie's favorite. As of now she has no idea they are sweet potato fries and she loves them and they are so much more nutritious than the regular fries. The recipe is exactly the same but they take a little longer to cook and burn more easily so keep an eye on then and flip occasionally.

"Yellow" Fries
These are my and Tony's personal favorite! They are so yummy!!!
Ingredients:
Butternut squash: peeled, halved, quartered, then sliced to french fry size, slice thin...
3-4 T coconut oil, melted
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Toss ingredients together on a non-stick or greased cookie sheet
Bake as above, flipping every so often. May take up to 40 minutes to cook depending upon the thickness.

Mashed Potatoes:
10 medium potatoes (I used redskin this time from the market they are he larger reds, not the tiny ones) -- peeled and quartered. If you want them to cook faster cut them smaller)
1 cup milk or cream (I use whole organic raw milk)
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon sea salt (optional -- I usually skip this)

An hour before I plan to take turkey out I begin to boil potatoes. For a family of 6 eating an normal amount of potatoes, i usually use about 10 medium size Yukon golds or reds.
Add to large pot of water, potaotes should be completely covered, bring to a slow boil. Cover and boil until very soft. Prior to removing potatoes from stovetop, I gently warm milk and butter, stirring constantly to a warm, not hot temperature (I like to keep the proteins as in tact as possible for added nutrition).
Dump potatoes into collander and then into mixing bowl. With beaters, mix potatoes on low until broken up. Add milk mixture and beat until your desired smoothness. I like them very smooth but the kids like them chunky -- your preference.

Enjoy!!!