Bowtie Chicken Alfredo Bake

Posted on July 1, 2010 by naturalfood

Ok, first of all, I just want to say that this is not a slimming meal. It is a rich comfort food. I have a mostly German and Scandinavian background, so my grandparents and parents like meals that  A) have a lot of carbs -dough, potatoes, etc.– and B) include cream–or butter….lots of butter….

Needless to say….it’s DEE-LISH! (a.k.a delicous!)  It’s also very easy to make.

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo Bake

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 chicken breasts, cut into pieces and sauteed in butter and garlic
  • 1 package diced ham or leftover ham chopped into pieces, brown a little in pan
  • 1 box farfalle (bowtie) pasta, cooked and drained
  • 1/2 bag frozen peas
  • 1 package/can mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in butter and garlic
  • 1 jar alfredo sauce
  • 1 pint cream
  • 1 package mozzarella cheese
  1. Prepare chicken, pasta, ham, and mushrooms.
  2. Mix all ingredients, except cheese, in a large bowl.
  3. Pour into 9×13 baking dish.
  4. Top with cheese.
  5. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Comments:

I wish I could say that I used more organic ingredients. Unfortunately, until the price of organic meat comes down a little, I can’t afford the luxury of using it. I did use the following organic ingredients though:

  • Frozen peas (Full Circle brand)
  • Garlic (bought by the pound from azurestandard.com)
  • Pasta (Full Circle brand)

I used to always use the canned mushrooms because of the convenience. Then I started reading labels. The majority of canned mushrooms come from China, some from Indonesia. A lot of the fresh mushrooms you buy from the store come from Pennsylvania. I think I trust U.S. produce more than I trust produce imported from China. Just a thought…

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Slow Cooked Wild Duck

Posted on June 30, 2010 by naturalfood

My husband is an avid hunter and fisherman, so needless to say, our freezer is normally stocked with fish and wild game. We have had duck in the freezer since last fall. Time to use it up…

Tonight’s supper was started at about 12:45 this afternoon. Since it was made in the slow cooker, I was able to prep and then forget about it until we were ready to eat, which was about 9:15. During the school year when I’m teaching, I can start it in the morning and it’s ready by the time I get home. (And the house always smells wonderful when you walk in!)

Slow Cooked Wild Duck

Ingredients:

  • wild duck breasts (I used 6 [3 birds] because that’s what my husband packaged)
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 c. chicken stock
  • 1 tsp. seasoning salt
  • 1/2 c. beer (I used Miller Lite)
  • 3-4 large carrots (chopped in 2 inch segments)
  • 2-3 medium potatoes, quartered

 

Directions:

  1. Prepare potatoes and carrots and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  2. Slice duck breasts into thin slices lengthwise. Place over potatoes.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients and pour over the top of the sliced meat.
  4. Cook on low for approximately  8 hours.
  5. Serve over rice.

This tastes better than it looks. I am not a food photographer, so bear with me! Slicing the duck into thin pieces creates meat so tender that it falls apart. (With my experience, whole duck breasts can be a little tough or chewy.) The gravy had a good flavor. The next time I make this, I might leave out the potatoes and add other veggies. I didn’t really need potatoes since I served it over rice. Or I could serve it with mashed potatoes and nix the rice. Oh the options!

Did I use organic?

  • The duck is wild, so there are obviously no worries about added antibiotics or hormones
  • Organic butter (Full Circle brand from Cashwise. I don’t always have organic butter on hand. It is expensive!)
  • Organic Yukon Gold potatoes (These were purchased from Azure Standard–the truck comes once a month–, but through experience, I’ve purchased better quality organic potatoes from Fargo grocery stores.)
  • Organic carrots (This may sound weird, but they are from my grandma’s garden last fall. If you want your carrots to last forever, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge with a paper towel or two. Change the towel sporadically, and the carrots will last a LONG time! I couldn’t believe it when I opened the container and they were still crisp and fresh. Thanks for the tip Grandma!)
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Berry Mango Pumpkin Smoothie

Posted on June 30, 2010 by naturalfood

I make A LOT of smoothies using my trusty Magic Bullet blender that somebody bought us for our wedding. (Apparently they are suckers for infomercials…) Anyway, this morning I concocted a new blend of ingredients and thought I’d share.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup organic frozen strawberries, allowed to thaw slightly (I use the Full Circle brand from Cashwise)
  • 1/2 c. organic frozen raspberries (again, I used the Full Circle brand)
  • 1/2 c. frozen mango chunks
  • 1 Tablespoon organic pumpkin (I use the Farmer’s Market brand)
  • 1/2 Tbsp. flaxseed
  • Enough milk to make it smooth when blending (Right now I have the Wal-Mart brand of organic milk in my fridge.)

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. If it is too tart, feel free to add a bit of sugar or honey.

Of course, you can use non-organic fruit for this recipe as well; however, berries are on the "Dirty Dozen" list, which is a list of the foods with the highest levels of pesticides on them. For more information, you can check out this article from the Today show.

The pumpkin adds a slight hint of flavor and healthy beta-carotene. I was just looking through my cupboards, saw the pumpkin, and thought I’d give it a whirl.

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Organic Taco Ingredients Review

Posted on June 29, 2010 by naturalfood

Easy supper tonight. My dear hubby was in a hurry to get to a softball game, so we had tacos. Nothing gourmet. Simply browning a pound of beef, adding the seasoning packet, and putting it in a shell (from a box nonetheless), topped with sauce, cheese, and lettuce. Even on nights like this, I can still incorporate organic.

To be honest, sometimes packaged organic food can be bland or well, disgusting. Since I was trying these ingredients out for the first time, I decided to write a review of them.

Garden of Eatin’ Taco Shells

These tasted just like regular taco shells with maybe a little added crunch. So if they taste the same, what’s the benefit? Organic corn that’s not genetically modified and no hydrogenated oils (trans fat). Would I eat these again? You betcha! I got them at www.azurestandard.com and they are sold in packs of three.

Simply Organic Spicy Taco Seasoning Mix

When I first mixed this into the meat, I was skeptical. It didn’t blend quite the same as other conventional seasoning packets. Too late to turn around though. We were eating this whether it was good or bad. After I stirred it in so it was blended a little better, it was time to eat. The results? Delicious! The one comment I do have is that it is much spicier than Ortega, Taco Bell, or Old El Paso taco seasonings, so if you don’t like spice, this probably isn’t the seasoning for you. I got a 3-pack of this seasoning from Azure Standard, but I’ve seen it in Fargo grocery stores as well.

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce

This lettuce did not come from the store. It came from my garden, so of course it’s organic. This is the first year I’ve tried this variety (it was a free sample that came with other seeds I ordered) and I am quite pleased with it. It is a very mild lettuce–I’m not a fan of bitter tasting lettuces. It is not as crisp as some other lettuces though. On tacos, it was great. It’s good in salads too, but I try to eat more spinach than lettuce because spinach is a nutrient powerhouse!

That’s all the organic that I was able to use. The cheese was Kraft, the hamburger from a family friend who happened to be butchering a steer, and the taco sauce was Ortega (love the "hot" variety!).

 

 

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Rhubarb Cheesecake

Posted on June 29, 2010 by naturalfood

In my garden, the rhubarb flourishes and is easy to grow. It is pretty much maintenance free. I’ve seen rhubarb plants growing on abandoned farmsteads, so I’m pretty sure that ANYBODY can plant it, forget about it, and still harvest enough for plenty of delicious desserts.

As I was picking spinach this morning, I realized that my rhubarb really needed to get used. So, I picked it, rinsed it, and made this delicious desert: rhubarb cheesecake.

Recipe:

Crust:
*1 c. all-purpose flour
*1/2 c. packed brown sugar
*1/4 tsp. salt
*1/4 c. cold butter or margarine
*1/2 c. chopped walnuts
*1 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling:
*2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
*3/4 c. sugar
*3 eggs
*1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:
*3 c. chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed and drained
*1 c. sugar
*1/4 c. water
*1 Tbsp. cornstarch
*1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
*3 to 4 drops red food coloring (optional)

In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in walnuts and vanilla. Press into greased 9×13 pan. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Pour over crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until center is set and edges are light brown. Cool.

In a saucepan, combine the rhubarb, sugar, water, cornstarch, and cinnamon; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens (about 5 minutes). Stir in food coloring, if desired. Remove from the heat; cool. Pour over filling. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Comments on natural/organic use:

Yes, this is a desert loaded with cream cheese calories, so it is not the healthiest, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t incorporate REAL, organic ingredients. In my opinion, every little addition helps! Here’s what I used…

*Organic all-purpose flour (no pesticides/fertilizers/etc. used on the wheat)
*Organic butter (NEVER use margarine! It is a fake food. Butter may have more fat, but it is natural. And organic butter is better yet, as the cows weren’t injected with hormones or antibiotics.)
*Organic eggs
*Organic rhubarb! (Locally grown, straight from my garden!)

What I didn’t use:
*red food coloring (artificial coloring, not necessary and not natural!)

Results:
The cheesecake was wonderful! The crust is different than an ordinary graham cracker cheesecake crust. Be sure to grease the pan well though, my crust stuck a little. The rhubarb topping and the cheesecake filling is a great combination of sweet and tart. I’m sure I will be making this dessert again for my husband!

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Let’s Get Started…

Posted on June 29, 2010 by naturalfood

I’ll admit it. I think I’m turning into a food purist. Well, not exactly “purist” but I am interested in incorporating more natural and organic foods into my diet. I diligently check ingredient labels, know the “dirty dozen,” and grow numerous fruits and vegetables in our garden and yard. But, I’m also just like everyone else. I’m a wife to a great husband, a teacher to over 100 students, a student trying to get her master’s degree, and an owner of two rambunctious pets. In other words, I’m BUSY.

So what does that mean for you, the reader? It means that I am going to share my experiences with incorporating natural and organic food into my life. Let’s face it, organic is expensive. My recipes aren’t going to include ALL organic ingredients, some might not include any organic ingredients. But I’m going to try to include as much natural food as possible and exclude as much processed and artificial foods as I can.
Let’s get cookin’!

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