I am Back after lots of health set backs

Where has the time gone? Hard to believe that it has been a whole year since I have posted on here. I have been busy seeing doctors on a regular basis for way to many health issues, navigating the world of Medicare, & Medicare Replacement Plans starting at the age of 50 due to my Disabilities, dealing with Social Security about my payments, back benefits, money held out for my lawyer and the balance supposed to be paid to me that I have yet to receive, helping my sister, and doing online surveys to earn gift cards.

Currently I have been in AZ for the last 2 weeks visiting my mom after not having been here since Dec,. 2008 due to health issues with me and lack of funds to travel anywhere at all. I have about 60-70 PICs of my recipes on my laptop at home and Picasa. My sister loaned my a notebook PC to use while I am at our moms in AZ for a month avoiding the extreme cold, ice, freezing, rain and historic amounts of snow back in the suburbs of Illinois one hour west of Chicago. Once I get back home I will start posting all those recipes one every day or as often as I can till I am caught up, then I can start with new ones with my new way of eating.

Till then hope you all stay warm & dry in the states where you deal with all the cold, snow, ice, etc.

Rachel's Jewish Version of Chicken Paprikash Soup

If it is winter then it usually means that most people are using a Dutch Oven or Slow Cooker All the Time, I doubt that I am the exception who uses both of thee all year long for convenience


1 6 Quart Stainless Steel Dutch Oven

1 TSP Canola Oil

1 Diced Onion
2 TBSP Minced Garlic

6-8 Chicken Thighs Rinsed, Patted Dry
1/8 TSP Sea Salt
1.4 TSP Ground Black Pepper
2 TBSP Lighthouse Foods Freeze Dried Poultry Seasoning
http://litehousefoods.stores.yahoo.net/freezdriedhe.html
4 Cups Very Low Sodium Chicken Stock or Broth
http://www.imaginefoods.com/content/organic-low-sodium-free-range-chicken-flavored-broth
1/2 Cup Smoked Paprika

10-12 Ounce Pkg of Frozen Chopped Okra
1 14.5 Ounce Can of No Salt Added Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 Package House of Foods Shirataki Tofu Fettucini Noodles Prepared as Directed and set Aside.
I always triple rinse mine and boil in microwave
http://www.house-foods.com/tofu_shirataki_usa/

Heat Oil in Dutch Oven on Medium High Heat
Add in Garlic & Onions and Cook Until Soft
Add in Broth
Season Chicken With Sea Salt & Pepper
Add Chicken to Broth
Add in Okra & Tomatoes
Cover and Cook on Medium Until Chicken Reaches a Temp of 175-180

Place Shirataki Noodles in Bowl, Top With Chicken, And Soup

Cooking

Cooked Shirataki Tofu Fettuccine

Chicken Paprikash Served Over Shirataki Tofu Fettuccine

Smoked Sweet Potato Puffs

I try to avoid buying as much processed foods as possible mainly because of all my allergies along with the mere fact that they are usually made with excess, salt, sugar, fat, and ingredients that should not be in food. That being said every once in a while I come across a Packaged Product that is not all that.

Instead of having frozen tatar tots which are usually made from Idaho Russett Potatoes, these are made from Sweet Potatoes and minimally processed. Buy 1 Package of Alexia Frozen Sweet Potato Puffs, 1 Silpat Baking Mat, Use 1 Jelly Roll Pan, Smoked Paprika and your good to go.

Buy 1 Package of Alexia Frozen Sweet Potato Puffs
http://mycontinuingthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/07/new-frozen-sweet-potato-product.html
1 Silpat Baking Mat

1 Jelly Roll Pan

Sprinkle Paprika on Sweet Potato Puffs


Preheat Oven to Whatever Temp the Alexia Sweet Potato Package Says
Please Silpat on Large Jellyroll Pan
Empty Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs on Silpat Baking Mat
Sprinkle Smoked Paprika on Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs
Follow Pkg Instructions to Bake

Orange Apricot Sweet and Spicy Beans And Rice

Despite my typical rule for not buying canned beans due to the high salt content and my using dried beans for the last 5 years about 98% of the time I broke down and bought 8 cans of black beans, My local Angelo Captuos Priduc Market was selling La Preferida Beans for 79 Cents, I found coupons on the La Preferida web site for 40 cents and I was able to print 8 coupons, they expire this month so I used them all at one.
Here is the link below in case you want to take advantage of the coupon at your own local store, of course you might not catch them on sale for 79 cents but you will still have a nice coupon to use.

http://www.lapreferida.com/couponspromotions/

One 6 Quart Stainless Steel Dutch Oven This is My Go To Pot to Cook Just About Everything In
I have Werever which was about $30 with taxes. I do not see a reason to buy $250-350 Dutch Oven.


One 15 Ounce Can of Black Beans Triple Rinsed & Drained
If they have low Sodium Get Them and Then Triple Rinse & Drain Them As Well
16 Ounces Brown Rice Triple Rinsed, Drained, Steamed Without Salt And Drained Again
1-2 TBSP Smucker's Low Sugar Sweet Orange Marmalade or Like Brand
1-2 TBSP Smucker's Low Sugar Apricot Preserves or Like Brand
http://www.smuckers.com/products/category.aspx?groupId=1&categoryId=7
1-3 TBSP Frank's Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce
http://www.franksredhot.com/products/sweet-chili-sauce/nutrition/info
1/8 Canola Oil

Heat Oil on Medium High Heat
Add in Everything to Dutch Oven
Simmer on Low for 20 Minutes With Cover On

Healthy Vegan Protein Saute

Welcome to 2013, Hope it has started off for all of you well and continues to be a Healthy, Happy & Wealthy Year. Hard to believe that I have not posted since 11/17/12, I can't really say the Holidays were my primary reason for being such a slug in posting, more a combination of battling a long term sinus infection, being treated with a Steroid Med and then an Antibiotic, food poisoning from an outing at a Restaurant I prefer never to go to again, and having lots of medical tests done.

I received more gift cards this year then I expected so I have been able to go to several different stores for foods that I would normally not ever be able to buy. I still have some money left on two gift cards to get food at. On the plus side I did not have to go to the Food Bank for food in December and I will not have to go for the month of January for food. I'll have to see how the next few months shape up for me financially and whether I need to go again or not. I do have twenty photos to post of recipes to add here. Do to being sick I did not create as many new recipes as I would have during this same time period previously. I also had some meals out over the holidays which provided left overs and no cooking for me.

For January I have been picking up lots of Free Meals from Restaurants who have email, loyalty and rewards programs that I belong too due to my upcoming 50th Birthday 1/22/2013. These Restautants send out coupons for Free Meals, Desert, Appetizers, or Add The Meals to a Reward Card for you to use during your Birth Month. I also have been taking advantage of lots of opportunities to receive free samples through Facebook and get coupons for Free Products for Organic & Natural Vendors as well.

Now back to the purpose of showing you recipes and PICs of them.

One 10 Inch Skillet, This is Just an Example of one Commercial One to Use



1 TBSP Canola Oil
1 14.5 Ounce Can No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
10 Ounce Box of Frozen Chopped Spinach, Steamed, Drained and Patted Dry
1 Bunch of Kale Cleaned, Soaked Overnight With Sea Salt, & Drained
One Diced Onion
1-2 TBSP Minced Garlic
8 Ounces Portebella Mushrooms, Cleaned, Drained, Patted Dry, & Sliced
2 TBSP Sun Dried Tomatoes
1/4 TSP Ground Black Pepper
1/4 TSP Corriander
1/4 TSP Dill
1 Pkage House of Foods Tofu Shirataki Noodles, Triple Rinsed, Drained, Boiled in Microwave 3 Minutes
This link below is to an explanation of what they are. I buy mine at my local Meijer Grocery Store.
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/products/p/shiratakinoodle.htm

Heat Oil On Medium High High Heat
Add in Everthing & Saute Until Onions, Garlic are Opague and Kale is Wiled as well As Spinach

Mexican Chili Lime Swai

There is a famous saying that "Variety is the Spice of Life", this is me when I am sick of eating ground chicken, need to switch it up a bit and have fish or steak or veggies. I consider Swai to be a great replacement for the Overfished Tilapia, and low in Mercury Content compared to its United States Cousin the Catfish. Super Target has these for a great low everyday price in the freezer section and then Target.com runs coupons for frozen fish so then I stock up. Normally I like to cook fish in the broiler which is fast & healthy, but other times I will saute it or bake it for a change. I am always looking for new flavors & ways of eating the same food.

One 10 Inch Skillet
1 TBSP Canola Oil
12 Ounces of Frozen Swai Thawed
1-2 TBSP of The Spice Hunter Salt Free Mexican Seasoning
http://www.spicehunter.com/search_results.asp?q=mexican%20seasoning
1 TBSP Minced Garlic
Juice of 1 Fresh Lime
1-2 TBSP Franks Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce
http://www.franksredhot.com/products/sweet-chili-sauce

Heat Oil on Medium High
Add in Fish
Add in Mexican Seasoning, Garlic, & Lime Juice
Cook About 10-15 Minutes or Until Fish Flakes Easily
Top With Some Chili Sauce & Then Serve

Ready to Cook

Ready to Eat

Ground Chicken Chili Okra Tomato Soup

With Super Target continuing to sell Gold & Plump Chicken for 99 Cents or $1.50 after my coupons that I find for the Gold n Plumb brand on the commonkindness website I will keep making new recipes with Ground Chicken.

1 6 Quart Dutch Oven (Mine is Stainless Steel) Look for One Like This.



1 TBSP Canola Oil
1 LB Ground Chicken  90/10 or 95/5
1 Diced Onion
2 TBSP Minced Garlic
4 Cups of Very Low or Low Sodium Organic Chicken Broth
 
These Two Brands I have Found To Have Less Sodium Then Many Other Brands & No MSG!
One 12 Ounce Package of Frozen Chopped Okra
1 14.5 Ounce Can of No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
One 10 Ounce Box of Frozen Chopped Spinach Steamed, Drained, & Patted Dry
1/8 TSP Sea Salt
1/4 TSP Ground Black Pepper
1/4 TSP Chopped or Freeze Dried Dill Weed

1-2 TBSP Frank's Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce
http://www.franksredhot.com/products/sweet-chili-sauce

Heat Oil on Medium High in Dutch Oven
Add in Chicken, Onion, & Garlic & Saute Until Done
Drain Oil
Add in Chicken Broth & Everything Else
Simmer on Low With Cover for 30-40 Minutes