Lazy John: A New Twist on an Old Favorite

Ever since being on this diet, one of the things I miss most is being able to eat Southern food.  I know that it's incredibly unhealthy, and I'm doing myself a favor by not eating all of that fat and grease, but there's a little piece of the South in me that just refuses to be silenced by food allergies.  I can't really blame it either because Southerners make incredibly amazing food. I have yet to find a restaurant in Utah that makes descent Southern food, and even if I did, I would have to have a mommy's night out because all menu items would be off limits to my food allergy toddler.  One of my favorite Southern foods (and thankfully one that isn't food allergy banned) is collard greens, and not just any collard greens; Southern collard greens.  Try as I might,  I can't make them like Q's BBQ or the dining hall at the University of Richmond, but this recipe is my attempt to do it anyway.  I also found out that my daughter loves collard greens.  Yup, you read that right.  My three year old LOVES collard greens, so this recipe was an instant hit at our house.

My original idea for this recipe was to wrap the Hoppin' John in the collard greens like a blanket.  The very nature of collard greens made that awkward and impossible, however, so I just made them up separate and threw them in my existing recipe for Hoppin' John just to see what would happen.  And it came out even better!  I'm seriously never going back. I have been converted to Lazy John for life!

Lazy John:

For the Collard Greens

Ingredients:
1-2 bunches collard greens
1 ham hock (optional)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Broth or Water to cover (3-4 cups)

Stove Top Directions:

1. Add water and ham hock (if using) to a large pot.  Heat until boiling.  Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for an hour.  If not using the ham hock, start on step 2.
2. Wash the collard greens and chop into bite-sized pieces.
3. Add the collard greens and all remaining ingredients to the pot.  Add enough water or broth to cover.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for an hour or until they are tender.
4. Drain the greens and set aside.

Crock Pot Directions:

I usually prefer this method since I can throw it in the crock pot in the morning and have it ready when I get home from work at night.  Simply just toss all the ingredients into the crock pot and cook 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.  Drain the greens and set aside.

For the Hoppin' John

Ingredients:

3 slices bacon

1 clove garlic

1 green pepper

1/2 cup onion

1 Tablespoon pickled jalapeño (or fresh)

3 cups black eyed peas (2 cans)

1 cup black beans (1 can)

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste*

1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 cup mushrooms sliced

salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan, cook the bacon until it is crispy.  Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the garlic, onion, pepper, jalapeño, oregano, thyme, salt, and maple syrup to the pan and sauté until tender.  I just use the bacon grease to sauté the veggies.  It really enhances the flavor of the whole dish.  However, if you are looking for a leaner option, you can just use a little olive oil. 
3. Add the collard greens and mushrooms and continue sauteing until the mushrooms are soft stirring continually so as not to burn the greens.
4. Add the beans and bacon and heat through.

*If you use canned beans, you may want to reduce the salt.

Homegrown Zucchini Lasagna

I'm finally back!  I've been meaning to post something for a while now, but between work, school, a toddler, cooking, and life, I haven't had much spare time for anything.  The great news is that the semester is over, and I passed my classes (as if not passing was ever a possibility ;)).  Hopefully, I only have one semester to go before I get my English Language Arts endorsement.  Then, I can teach full time.  Yay!!

In the midst of all the crazy stuff happening, the harvest from the garden came in.  I was super excited for it this year because my daughter was recently diagnosed with an allergy to the arsenic found in pesticides.  Additionally, because we live in Murray next to what used to be an old smelter and refinery site back in the early 1900's, the ground also has a higher arsenic content than it normally would (Thank you previous generations).  Needless to say, my daughter's eczema has been out of control all summer long with arsenic being the main culprit in a long list of other environmental culprits.  An abundant supply of pesticide-free food was just what I needed.  We got tons of carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and peppers.  My grandmother even gifted her entire vine of concord grapes to me, which I used to make grape juice.  My daughter loved the gardening experience, especially pulling the carrots right up out of the ground and eating them.  I already have a list of food to plant next year including artichokes and pomegranates in addition to more of what we planted this year.  Got to keep that no-spray produce coming!

We don't have much freezer space at our house, and although we loaded up my grandma's freezer with fresh produce, we still had a ridiculous amount of zucchini left over.  When my daughter got sick of it, I had to come up with more creative ways to use it.  I did try to hide it in a few things (muffins, bread, meatballs, etc.), but I still had a ton.  I had gotten a paleo book from the library that had a recipe for raw zucchini lasagna in it, and decided to try it.  After all, I had practically everything I needed growing in my back yard.  I had seen recipes for zucchini lasagna before, but had never even considered making it.  Pre-allergy era, I made a mean lasagna.  Several people had told me that it was the best lasagna they'd ever had.  It was one of the foods, that I actually mourned it's loss when I found out that pretty much everything in it was on the do not eat list.  I also mourned nachos and French toast, but not like I mourned lasagna.  Any descent Mexican restaurant in town serves amazing nachos, and French toast was never one of my favorite breakfast foods, so I only miss it occasionally.  It's next to impossible to find good lasagna though.  Even the best Italian restaurant falls short of making a good lasagna, and almost all of them are loaded with meat, which just doesn't appeal to me. I really wanted lasagna back, and even though I'm no longer breastfeeding and can eat anything I want, I still had all of this zucchini sitting on the kitchen table waiting to be eaten.  The paleo lasagna out of the cookbook was actually really good.  I made it a few times, and then decided to try making it using my old lasagna recipe as the baseline.  It isn't allergy friendly for my daughter, but 2/3 of the ingredients came right out of my garden.  I figure I can't be the only person with too much zucchini and not enough freezer space, so here it is, my homegrown zucchini lasagna that tastes every bit as good as my original recipe.  It's guaranteed to help you use up all of that extra zucchini.  As a bonus, I also get to show off the fine China that was gifted to me by a friend in Virginia.  It's been in a box ever since I moved back, and I was delighted for an opportunity to show it off.

Homegrown Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients

For the sauce
3 garlic cloves minced
1 small onion diced
2 cups mushrooms
1-2 teaspoons olive oil or butter
4 cups of fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons oil packed sun dried tomatoes
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried basil (1½ teaspoons fresh)

¼ teaspoon dried marjoram (¾ teaspoon fresh)

¼ teaspoon dried parsley (¾ teaspoon fresh)

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (optional)

For the cashew "cheese"

1 ½ cups cashews or macadamia nuts soaked, rinsed, and drained

1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt or to taste

1 clove garlic

splash non-dairy milk

To assemble the Lasagna

2 large zucchinis sliced lengthwise**

Notes

*I like roma tomatoes because they are less watery than other kinds. However, you can use whatever you have on hand.

**I used a mandolin slicer to slice the zucchini.  I like it slightly thicker so that it retains a bit of a crunch when it is done, but any thickness will work.  If you don't have a mandolin slicer, you can just slice it by hand or chunk it up and mix the whole thing together like a casserole.

Directions

To make the sauce:

1. In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender.  Add the mushrooms and sauté 1-2 minutes more. 
2. Lightly blend the tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes in a food processor.  You want them to be smooth, but not liquefied.
3. Add the tomato mixture, all of the herbs and spices, and the Worcestershire sauce (if using) to the onion, garlic, and mushrooms.  Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for about 25 minutes.

To make the cheese:

1. Toss the garlic in the food processor and process until minced
2. Add the nuts, lemon juice, salt, and a splash of milk.  Continue to process until a paste is formed.  Add more milk as needed until you get the desired consistency.  You want it to look a bit like ricotta cheese. 
3. Add salt to taste and set aside

To assemble the lasagna:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Spoon a small amount of sauce onto the bottom of a 12x12 casserole dish so that the bottom is covered.
3. Layer the zucchini on top of the sauce so that the zucchini slightly overlaps.
4. Spread the cheese over the zucchini and cover with sauce.  Then, top with more zucchini, cheese, and sauce.
5. Repeat this process until all of the sauce, zucchini and cheese is gone.  You should end with the sauce on top so that your lasagna won't dry out in the oven.
6. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and the zucchini can be easily pierced with a fork.

Note:

The lasagna will hold its shape better if you allow it to cool down a bit. 

Creamy Italian Stuffed Summer Squash

Ok, so technically summer ended a while ago, but I had this HUGE squash from my mom's garden that needed to be eaten and I also had a craving for something Italian.  Plus it's never a bad thing to reminisce about how warm and cozy the world used to be before winter came along (For those of you who don't know, there are only two seasons in Utah, winter and summer).  The only problem; how does one make something Italian with no garlic, no onion, no tomatoes, no pasta, and no dairy?  Due to my daughter's allergies, pretty much every ingredient that makes Italian food amazing was out.  I also had to make the recipe corn free as if this wasn't going to be a big enough challenge on its own. 
I was determined to overcome this challenge, however, since I really want to have more meals that both taste good to me and agree with my daughter's allergies.  Currently the list of meals that meet both those requirements is quite short.

Despite it's lack of many things that make great Italian food, this stuffed squash doesn't disappoint.  I kept the ingredient list short so as not to overcomplicate things.  I was actually surprised by how much flavor I was able to pack into this dish with just a few ingredients.  It's savory, but not overwhelming, which makes it the perfect dish for someone who is sensitive to strong flavors or who has allergies to garlic and onions.  Unfortunately my daughter didn't care much for it, but I feel like it's progress nonetheless.   I wasn't sure if I could learn to cook without garlic and onions.  To be honest, most of my garlic and onion free recipes still come out tasting not quite right, but I now know that if I put some serious thought into it, I can make good things happen.

Creamy Italian Stuffed Summer Squash

 

Ingredients

 

½ cup uncooked millet
1 pound ground pork or chicken

½ Tablespoon red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

1 ½ teaspoons Italian Seasoning

1 large yellow squash or 2-3 small squash
1 cup mushrooms

1/3 cup non-dairy milk

1 Tablespoon Tahini

Salt to taste

Vegan Cheese (optional)

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a medium saucepan, roast the millet over medium heat until it begins to pop and turn golden brown.  Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 30-40 minutes.  Try to resist the urge to lift the lid.  The millet will cook up fluffier if you leave it alone.  You can also add a little oil to the boiling water if you wish but it isn't absolutely necessary.
3. While the millet is cooking, combine the pork, vinegar, salt, sugar, and Italian seasoning in a frying pan or skillet.  Cook over medium-high heat until the pork is cooked through.  Drain off any excess grease or liquid.
4. Slice the squash in half lengthwise and hollow it out using a spoon or ice cream scoop.   Chop the squishy squash insides into smaller, bite-sized pieces and set aside.  Place the hollowed out squash shells on a baking sheet and set aside.
5. Chop the mushrooms and add to the pork mixture along with the squash insides. Continue cooking until the squash and mushrooms are tender.
6. Add the milk, tahini, and cooked millet to the pork mixture.  Cook a few more minutes until the liquid has thickened slightly.  Add salt to taste.
7. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed out squash, lightly pack the mixture down as you go.  (I had a lot of extra filling so I piled it as high as I could without it falling all over the pan.)
8. Sprinkle vegan cheese on top of the stuffed squash (if using).  I thought it tasted great both with and without the cheese.
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the squash is tender and the tops are slightly browned.  Serve with salad and bread if desired. 

Kamut Graham Crackers

This recipe came about as sort of a necessity.  There is an Oh She Glows vegan pumpkin pie recipe with graham cracker crust that I've wanted to try for like a year now.  However, when you are a single mom with a 6 month old baby that has multiple food allergies, making such things becomes too much of a hassle.  Now I have a 16 month old who LOVES graham crackers and snacks in general.  In fact, she is getting to the point where she has to have snacks to get through the day.  Usually we just have dried fruit or Arrowhead Mills Kamut puffs, but those get old fast, even for a toddler.  Sometimes as a special treat we have plantain, potato, or lentil chips but those are expensive and are not very fulfilling as snacks.  My daughter is also in daycare now that school is back in session, which means she gets to watch all of the other kids have snacks while she has none.  It only seemed right to expand our snack repertoire. 

 I almost never make snacky stuff because it's all I can do to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the table, but when she got a hold of a wheat and corn filled graham cracker at daycare the other day, I figured what the heck; why not make some for her and have some for my vegan pumpkin pie recipe as an added bonus. Win, win!

This recipe worked out quite nicely with the Kamut flour and it's pretty easy to make.  I went from start to putting it in the oven in under 20 minutes which is another win since that's about how long I can keep my daughter from going into hysterics because I'm cooking and not giving all of my undivided attention to her.  It ends up being worth it though because these delightful crackers are 100% kid approved.   

 

 

These crackers are mildy sweet with a light, airy crunch and they are healthier than your traditional store bought graham crackers, which is yet another win.  I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure they would also taste great with a glass of non-dairy milk or with some melted chocolate and marshmallows.  I can't wait to try them out on my pumpkin pie recipe.  I'll let you know how that goes.

 

Kamut Graham Crackers

 

Ingredients

 



½ Tablespoon ground flax seed meal

¼ cup coconut oil
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk
1 ½ Tablespoons water

1 cup Kamut brand flour

3 Tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ + 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon

 

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the flax seed meal, coconut oil, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, and water.  Let sit for a few minutes while the flax meal sets.
3. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Mix well.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until there are no dry spots.  The dough should be slightly crumbly but should stick together if you mush it with your hands.
5. Form the dough into a ball and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil (I didn't have much success with wax paper).
6. Place another piece of parchment paper or saran wrap on top of the dough and roll the dough out until it is fairly thin (approximately 1/4- 1/8 of an inch).  The baking soda will make it puff up a bit so rolling it thinner will help make the crackers crunchier. 
7. Cut the crackers into your desired size and shape using a pizza cutter, cookie cutter or pastry slicer and poke a few fork pricks into each cracker.
8. Bake the crackers at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown.  The crackers will be slightly spongy when you first pull them out of the oven but they will crisp up as they cool down.
9. Store the crackers in an air-tight container or zip lock bag to keep them fresh.

Note: If you prefer not to use coconut oil you can sub another oil, preferably a light oil in its place.  You may need to make some adjustments to cooking time and wet to dry ratio, however, to get the same light crisp that the coconut oil provides.

Dairy Free Chicken Alfredo Pizza with Kamut Crust

Ok so I've been totally slacking on the blog for the past several weeks.  It's just been so crazy trying to start a new job, new daycare, a new schedule, and balance regular every day life as we know it.  I've actually been on a soup kick the last several weeks because it's easy and cheap, and there are a ton of great recipes out there.  However, after a month of soup, I find myself craving home made pizza more and more.  This particular one was inspired by Papa Murphy's Chicken Bacon Artichoke DeLite pizza.  Although I usually prefer my pizza loaded up with vegetables, I will always make an exception for the Chicken Bacon Artichoke pizza.  It really is one of the best pizzas ever invented in my opinion.  The whole time I was breastfeeding, I was craving it like crazy.  So I took on the challenge of making a dairy free version that was also safe for my little one to eat.  It actually ended up being a lot easier than I expected.  With an alfredo sauce inspired by a recipe by Angela Liddon, auther of "Oh She Glows," and a pizza crust recipe that my brother brought home from home ec in school (I found that this particular recipe works well with Kamut), I was easily able to create what just might be the greatest dairy free pizza ever.  I made this pizza for my dad and step mom and I think I blew their minds.  They totally weren't expecting a dairy free pizza to taste this good.   It is time consuming to make so I don't make it often, but the finished product is well worth the work.  P.S. sorry about the funky coloring on some of the pictures.  I got caught taking them at an awkward time of day. 

Dairy Free Chicken Alfredo Pizza

 



 For the Kamut Crust
(Makes two 14 inch pizza crusts)

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water
6 teaspoons sugar
2 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons yeast
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/4 cups Kamut flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Mix water, sugar, oil, and yeast in a mixing bowl and let sit for a few minutes to activate yeast.
3. Add the salt and flour and mix until combined.  The dough should be firm but slightly sticky. You may need to add more or less flour to get this consistency. 
4. Divide the dough in half.  Roll out each half to fit the pan (approximately 14 inches).  You may need to use extra flour or oil as you roll the dough out to keep it from sticking. 
5. If using a stone pizza pan, sprinkle the pan with a little Kamut flour to prevent the dough from sticking.  If using a regular pan, you can either use flour or spray the pan with oil. 
6. Place the dough on the pan.  If desired you can fold up the sides for a thicker crust. 
7. Add sauce and toppings to the pizza.

* For a gluten free option, use gluten free crust of choice

For the Sauce

Ingredients:

6 cloves garlic

1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight and drained)
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon tahini
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons Braggs Amino Acids or Soy Sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
2G Tablespoons almond milk or non-dairy milk of chioce

Directions:

1. Place the garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced.
2. Add the cashews and blend until smooth being careful not to over blend (you do not want cashew butter).
3. Add the nutritional yeast, tahini, lemon juice, Braggs, salt, and almond milk.  Continue blending until you have a nice creamy consistency.  If the sauce is too thick for your liking, just add a little extra almond milk.
4. Spread the sauce over the crust and add toppings

Optional Pizza Toppings

Really any toppings would taste great on this pizza, but here is a list of suggestions.

Chicken
Bacon
Mushrooms
Spinach
Green or Red Onions
Zucchini
Tomatoes
Bell Peppers
Vegan Cheese (I used Vegan Gourmet)
Marinated Artichoke Hearts (I used Reese's Grilled Artichoke Hearts because they are free of citric acid)

Any other toppings you would like


Cooking Instructions:

Once the pizza is assembled, bake at 450 degrees for 8-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.