Curried Chicken and Brown Rice

Found this here. Easy. Quick (especially if you have the rice cooked beforehand). Good flavor. Could easily be made a vegetarian dish by omitting chicken and/or adding beans, perhaps.

• 1 cup water
• 1 (8 ounce) can stewed tomatoes (or two large fresh, chopped)
  
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking brown rice (I used regular brown rice that I had in the fridge)
  
• 1/2 cup raisins (golden work really well)
  
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a skillet, stir together water, stewed tomatoes, brown rice, raisins, lemon juice, curry powder, bouillon, ground cinnamon, salt, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; then stir in chicken. Transfer mixture to a casserole dish.
3. Cover, and bake in the preheated oven 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and chicken juices run clear.

Whole Wheat Bread

This is that "Mom's-homemade-warm-from-the-oven" bread that we all remember from childhood. While this is not my mom's recipe (have to give credit to Jodalyn for that), it IS a recipe that I love. With its 'no-fuss' process, it gets a thumbs-up from me, and with its perfect texture and yummy flavor, it gets a thumbs-up from all who eat it. It's a must make for the baker in us all!

*2 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
1/3 cup honey (or brown sugar)
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup wheat gluten
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 Tbsp salt
6 cups whole wheat flour

In a large bowl combine the water, yeast and honey. Allow 10 or so minutes for the yeast to proof. Add the oil, gluten, and powdered milk. Mix until combined and clumps are gone. Add the salt, along with 2 cups of flour and mix well. Add the remaining cups of flour one at a time while mixing the dough. Allow the dough to knead for several minutes. To check for flour content, the dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl, but the dough should remain slightly sticky.

In an oiled bowl topped with a clean towel, allow the dough to rise until doubled in size (the time required for this will vary depending on factors such as the warmth of the room, etc). Punch it down, divide in half, and shape loaves. Place in bread pans, cover with towel and allow the loaves to double in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Again, bake time could vary due to oven temperature. Play around until you find what works for you.

Cool on a wire rack, but make sure you cut a few thick slices while it's still warm. Enjoy!

*I used to feel intimidated by the pressure to make sure the 'warm water' is just the right temperature. Too hot, you kill the yeast; too cold, you have hard-as-a-rock bread. My recommendation (since I HATE the thought of hassling with a thermometer every time I want to make bread) is to turn your faucet as hot as it goes and pour it right in. My faucet gets VERY hot and I've never had a problem with yeast breads. So long as you can still stand to stick your finger in it, don't be scared to have it hot.

Cheryl's Veggie Sandwiches

Elliot raves about these, and now I do too. They are really simple, healthy, and delicious. Basically, chop/grate some raw veggies of your choice (I used carrots, cucumbers, squash, etc.). Mix in some mayo (homemade or otherwise) like you're making tuna. Layer this on some bread (toasted, if you like) with slices of onion, tomato, lettuce and sprouts (or whatever you have). Season as you desire. Enjoy.

Couscous Salad with Raw Veggies

For those of us trying to eat more raw foods, this is a quick and easy one that doesn't take long to prepare and is actually quite yummy and filling. If you're like me and have trouble finding healthy foods that are filling, this one is. I love it now.

1 Cup of Water

1 Cup of Couscous

3 Tbsp Olive Oil (I sometimes use flaxseed oil or half of each)

3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tbsp Braggs Amino Acids (soy sauce substitute - this is optional or you can just salt it)

Juice and Zest of one Lime

1/4 tsp Pepper

1 Can of Corn (slightly drained - some of the water adds a nice flavor)

1 Beefstake Tomato diced

1 Red Bell Pepper diced

1 small cucumber diced

1/2 small yellow squash diced

1 small onion diced

2 Cups of Spinach somewhat shredded or torn

1 Small handful of Cilantro

Bring water to a boil. Take water off heat and pour couscous in. Fluff with a fork and then transfer to a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, take next five ingredients and mix together well, then pour over couscous to keep it from sticking and getting too dry. Pour can of corn in and the remaining ingredients. Toss until well blended. This is a super healthy, light, and filling meal by itself. Enjoy.