Pistachio, Almond, & Cashew Butter in My Vitamix

I have been making my own nut & seed butters for a while since I have had my Vitamix. It is easier to control the amount of salt & sugar in my nut & seed butters this way. Commercial Brands almost always add sodium and some type of sweetener. I do not add any sodium as the nuts I am using for this recipe here have already been roasted & lightly salted. Even when I use roasted & unsalted nuts I do not add any salt at all. Although I do sometimes add a sweetener and maybe an extract flavor depending on what type of nut butter I am making.

1 Vitamix

1. 1/4 - 1/2 Cup Canola Oil
2. 8 Oz/1 Cup  Shelled Pistachios
3. 16 Oz/2 Cups Mixture of Roasted Cashew Slices & Whole Almonds
4. 1 TSP Vanilla Extract
5. 1/4 - 1/2 TSP Sweetener of Your Choice

Add All Items In The Order Listed Above And Follow Instructions In Your Vitamix For Processing

Last for 3-4 Weeks or Longer In The Refrigerator

Potato & Onion Pierogies With Spinach, Tomato, Garlic, Mushroom, & Sauce

1 Large Oven Safe Casserole Dish

Fat Free Cooking Spray

1 16 Oz Box of of Mrs Ts Frozen Potato & Onion Pierogies 

http://www.pierogies.com/retail/products.asp?ProdID=2# Or Other Like Brand

1 LB Low Fat Isernios Ground Chicken Italian Sausage Or Like Brand

2 TBSP Roasted Minced Garlic

1 14.5 Oz Can No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes

10 Oz Frozen Chopped Spinach, Cooked & Patted Very Dry

15 Oz. Classico Alfredo Mushroom Sauce or The Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo Sauce

Spray Casserole Dish

Evenly Spread Out Pierogies On Bottom of Dish

Add in Ground Chicken Italian Sausage

Add in Tomatoes

Add in Spinach

Top With sauce

Bake 350 For 40-50 Minutes

Ready for Sauce

Add Sauce & Bake

Ready to Eat

For Variation You Can Use Broccoli, Asparagus, Green Beans, etc. 

Cereal, Bananas & Chocolate

Everything Always Taste Better With Chocolate

1 Microwave Safe Bowl & 1 Serving Bowl

1. 1/4 Cup Kashi Heart To Heart Cereal
2. 1 Small Ripe Banana
3. 2-3 Hershey's Kisses

Microwave All 3 Items Till Chocolate is Melted 

Could be a Few Seconds To 1-2 Minutes Depending on Your Microwave 

Mine is Very Old & Low Power SO it Takes a while.

Empty Mixture into Bowl & Enjoy

Potato, Lentil, Brown Rice, & Pea Curry in Dutch Oven

1 5 Quart Dutch Oven
2 Cups Very Low Sodium Organic Chicken Stock or Use Your Own Homemade
1 Cup Water
13.66 Ounces of Lite Coconut Milk
3-4 Washed & Cubed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Leave Skins On
1/2 Cup Dried French Green Lentils
1/2 Cup Brown Rice
12 Oz Frozen Green Peas
1 14.5 Oz, Can NO Salt Added Tomatoes
2 Onions Diced
2 TBSP Minced Garlic
1 TBSP Ground Ginger
1 TBSP Ground Cinnamon
1 TBSP Garam Masala
1 TBSP Curry Powder
1 TSP Dill
1 TSP Ancho Chili Powder
1 TSP Ground Cumin
1 TBSP Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
1 TBSP Splenda
1 TBSP Minced Red Jalapeños From Jar If Fresh Use 1/4 TSP

Add All Items To Dutch Oven In Order Listed.
Mix And Cook Until Done With Lid On.
Cook Time 2-3 Hours

Cooking

Done

Potato & Onion Pierogies With Peppers, Spinach, Ground Chicken Italian Sausage & Cheddar Cheese

With The Weather Being Hot One Day & Freezing The Next I AM Still In My Winter One Pot Dish Mode
To Be Honest A One Pot Dish Is Good Anytime of The Year

1 Large Oven Safe Casserole Dish
Fat Free Cooking Spray
1 16 Oz Box of of Mrs T's Frozen Potato & Onion Pierogies
http://www.pierogies.com/retail/products.asp?ProdID=2# Or Other Like Brand
1 Orange Bell Pepper Cubed
1 Red Bell Pepper Cubed
1 14.5 Oz Can No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
1 Small Bottle Classico Organic Spinach Marina Sauce
1 LB Low Fat Isernios Ground Chicken Italian Sausage Or Like Brand
2 - 3 Slice Soy Cheddar Cheese Slices Torn Up

Spray Casserole Dish
Evenly Spread Out Pierogies On Bottom of Dish
Add in Peppers
Add in Sauce
Add in Ground Chicken Italian Sausage

Bake at 350 For 45-50 Minutes
Tear Up Cheese  Bake Another 4-5 Minutes

Read To Bake

Add Cheese & Melt

Stir & Ready To Serve & Eat

Baked Petite Sirloin Steak For Nachos, Fajitas, Salads, or Omelette's

1. 2 Pounds Of Petite Sirloin Steak Cut Into Cubes
2. 2 Red Bell Peppers Cut Into Cubes
3. 1 Medium Onion Diced
4. 2 TSP of Minced Garlic
5. 1/2 Cup Lime Juice
6. 2 TBSP The Spice Hunter Salt Free Fajita Seasoning or Other Salt-Free Brand
7. 1 Bowl for Marinating
8. 1 Reynold's Hot Bags Extra Heavy Duty Foil Bag
9. 1 Large Baking Sheet or Jellyroll Pan

Optional Add 2 Ounces of Mexican Beer To Your Marinade

Add Items 1-6 Into Bowl And Marinate For 1 Hour
Added All Items Into 1 Reynold's Hot Bags Extra Heavy Duty Foil Bag
Add 1 TBSP of Flour Into Bag And Shake
Then Put Bag On Top Of Large Jellyroll Pan
Bake at 350 for 45 Minutes1 Hour Depending on How Done You Like Your Steak.

NOTE: I Used 1 Reynold's Hot Bags Extra Heavy Duty Foil Bag and I still have 2 more at home. My way of using the bag steams all the food instead of frying all the food with oil which adds extra fat. That being said I have not seen these at the store for a while, so you might have to make your own version of a hot bag by lining your baking pan with the heavy duty foil wrap and then completely sealing everything with another layer of the heavy duty foil wrap over all the food so nothing leaks out.

You can serve this inside a corn or flour tortilla, over a salad, in an omelet or on top of tortilla strips with cheese and guacamole as I have done here for a healthier version of nachos.

Inside Bag Ready To Seal And Bake

Sealed Bag

Ready To Eat

You can serve this inside a corn or flour tortilla, over a salad, in an omelet or on top of tortilla strips with cheese and guacamole as I have done here for a healthier version of nachos.

For Nachos 

I Put Two 0.5 Oz. Packages of Tri-Color Tortilla Strips On a Plate

Topped Tri-Color Tortilla Strips With Steak Fajitas

Add 1 Slice of Soy Cheddar Cheese Or Other Type

Add 1 Package of Guacamole

Finished And Yummy Nachos

Rachel's Vanilla Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats in Crockpot All Day or Overnight

I only have one size Crockpot which requires me to have it half full to cook items for a long period of time.
If you have a small Crockpot then use half the oats, milk, & water for this recipe. Steel Cut Oats have a completely different texture then regular rolled oats. Some folks like their oats very chewy and plain, while others like their oats more creamy with the consistency of a porridge. You might have to play around with the cooking time based on the individual brand of Crockpot that you have, some run really hot when cooking on low and some do not seem to get hot enough on high.

1. 4 Cups Water
2. 4 Cups Soymilk or Rice Milk
3. 1/4 - 1/2 Cup Splenda (Depends on Your Preferred Level of Sweetness)
4. 1/8 TSP Sea Salt
5. 1 TBSP Vanilla Extract
6. 1 TBSP Ground Cinnamon
7. 1 TBSP Smart Balance Heart Healthy Butter Blend
8. 2 Cups Irish Steel Cut Oats

Fat Free Cooking Spray
1 Programmable Crock Pot

Spray Crockpot bottom and sides with cooking spray as some crockpots tend to run hotter and you can have sticking of the oats on the sides or bottom. I have found spraying makes my Crockpot much easier to clean out.

Add items in the order listed above and mix.
For my Crockpot it takes exactly 7.5 Hours on High to cook the perfect consistency for me. This makes over a week's worth  of Steel Cut Oats if you only have 1/4 cup a time which is the recommended serving size on McCann's Irish Steel Cut Oats Can. I put my Oats in the refrigerator after cooling for an hour and then microwave everyday for my breakfast. I add in some fruit and Ground Flax Seed after my oats have been warmed up.

I like my Oat texture more on the chewier side them creamy.