Dairy Free Mac 'n Cheese

From: Once I figured out how to make dairy free cheese, the very first thing I did was make my kiddo some good ol' macaroni and cheese!  Because EVERY kiddo should be able to enjoy mac 'n cheese.

Ingredients:

macaroni noodles
dairy free soft cheese
soy milk

How to:  

Cook the macaroni noodles and drain.  While still hot, add desired amount of cheese (I added about 1/2 cup) and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of soy milk so the mixture is creamy and moist, not sticky.  Enjoy!

Dairy Free Soft Cheese

From: A great friend of mine who also has a son who is lactose intolerant shared this recipe with me.  Thanks, Kendahl!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups water
1 cup raw cashews
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp keltic sea salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp l seasoning: Mexican, Italian, pizza, etc (I used Italian seasoning.)
1/3 cups Arrow Root Powder

I found nutritional yeast and arrow root powder difficult to find.  Nutritional yeast is different from regular yeast and can be found at stores like Whole Foods. Arrow root powder can also be found at Whole Foods.  Remember the cashews must be raw, not roasted.

How to:  In a blender, put 1 cup of water and the cashews.  Process nuts until completely dissolved.  Add  the rest of the water and all other ingredients except the arrow root powder. Blend until smooth.  Pour entire mixture into a cooking pot.  Add arrow root powder and mix with a spoon until smooth while heating over medium heat.  Stir continuously as mixture thickens.  Once it is quite thick, transfer to a Pyrex and refrigerate.  After setting for several hours, cheese will be similar to the consistency of cream cheese.

Side notes: For hard cheese, replace arrow root powder with 3 Tbsp agar.  I have not tried making hard cheese yet, but I'll update once I've tried it.

Spinach Phyllo Pie

From: My Mom (who also provided the picture) found this recipe and found inspiration for it on ellenskitchen.com.

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh spinach 

1 package fresh mushrooms

1 large onion
5 egg whites

8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated 

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
1 teaspoon pepper 

1 box phyllo dough

How to:  

Thaw phyllo sheets as directed on box.
Prepare filler; leaving phyllo sheets wrapped until everything else is ready:
Remove stems from spinach, wash and drain.
Cut onions and sauté in water until tender.
Wash and slice mushrooms and add to the onions (cook until all water evaporates), remove onions & mushrooms from heat and put in a large bowl.
Sauté spinach in water (largest saucepan, in two batches) tossing frequently until all liquid evaporates – or until lightly cooked, then drain spinach and squeeze out remaining water.
Mix onions/mushrooms & spinach together in bowl & make sure onions and mushrooms are evenly distributed throughout the spinach.
Beat egg whites lightly, add grated cheese to egg mixture and mix thoroughly.
Add spinach mixture to egg and cheese mixture and stir until well mixed.

Quickly (It’s not a race. But phyllo dough may stick together and become hard to handle if you let it sit opened too long.) layer 5-7 sheets on the bottom of an 8x12 baking pan (like for lasagne) spraying each layer lightly with Pam. Then put on half of your spinach mixture.
Put another 5-7 sheets of phyllo in the pan, spraying again with Pam. Add and spread the last of your spinach mixture. Top with 10 to 15 sheets of phyllo, sprayed lightly with Pam between each layer.
Trim any excess dough around the edge, then moisten your fingertips and seal around the edges like a normal pie crust. (I just shoved the corners and edges down into the pan.) Brush top with butter or PAM. Use a sharp knife to cut through the entire top layer in the pattern you will cut after baking. Bake in 400°-425° oven for 30 minutes.

Side notes: I haven't tried this one yet, but I sure plan to do so soon!

Ensalada de Palmito

From: Hearts of Palm (or palmito) is one of our favorite common things to eat in Costa Rica.  I had a can of them in my cupboard and was looking for a salad to put them in.  I started with this recipe and then changed it to my liking.

Ingredients:

1 (14 ounce) can hearts of palm, drained & sliced (if not already)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded & chopped
1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper (use fresh ground pepper if possible)
2 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly shaved
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 cup finely chopped iceberg lettuce (optional)

How to: 

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Serve.

Side notes:

Serves two.

Turkey Ham & Scalloped Potatoes

From: My mom sent me this recipe.  She got it from a slow cooker recipe book she has had for 30 years.

Ingredients:

Turkey ham, cut into bite sized pieces
3-5 medium potatoes cut but not peeled
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
sprinkle with paprika
green chilies (optional)

How to: 

Put all the ingredients in the slower cooker and cook it on high for 3 hour or low for 6-8 hours.

Side notes:

For lactose intolerance, hold the cheese and add it on the side when serving.

Taco Salad

From: This one is an original.  :)

Ingredients:

romaine lettuce
crushed tortilla chips
tomatoes
ground beef
cinnamon
olive oil
salt
sugar
barbecue sauce
ketchup
cheese
salad dressing (my favorite is Ranch flavor)
other options:  raisins, craisins, anything else you think you might want to add

How to: 

Start by browning meat withe same spices from my hamburger recipe. The only difference is that you add about a Tbsp per pound of ground beef of olive oil to help break it up and add more ketchup and barbecue sauce so it's juicier.  Then add all the ingredients together in a salad.  Enjoy!

Hamburgers

From: My across-the-street neighbors growing up were our best friends.  Elizabeth and Danielle were like our other sisters and we spent more time during the summer in their back yard than our own, I think.  Their dad, Carl, was known for his hamburgers.  Man, he could make a mean hamburger!  Finally one time I paid attention to what he put in it.  You won't believe how good these are!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
2 Tbsp your favorite barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp of ketchup
a generous pinch of salt
a generous pinch of sugar
two generous pinches of cinnamon
(all the measurements are general estimations... I just add it until it looks about right)

How to: 

Add all the ingredients in a bowl and knead well so that the seasonings are well mixed into the meat.  Form it into patties and grill it!  Yummmmmm.

Side Notes: 

I use this combination of spices for ground beef in all sorts of recipes like Stromboli.