emmasdailybreadblog2017-blog

[emmasdailybreadblog2017-blog]

7 Day Type 2 Diabetes Meal Plan

Day 1 

BREAKFAST

SERVINGS: 4 INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups chopped butternut squash 1 medium sweet potato chopped Coconut oil & Butter 1 lb plain ground pork 1 large or 2 small apples chopped, I prefer a sweet apple 1 Small Onion ½ tsp smoked spanish paprika ½ tsp garlic powder Salt & Pepper to taste 4 eggs

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Pre-Heat oven to 425, Place choppped veggies onto cookie sheet, drizzle with EVOO, salt & pepper. Stir the veggies every 15 minute & bake until slightly crispy on the outside & soft on the inside.   2. Saute onions in butter and coconut oil until onions are soft. Olive oil will also work well to use to sauté the onions. 3. Add ground pork to onions, while meat is cooking chop into small pieces. Rinse apples well, peel if apples are not organic. Next add the chopped apples & cook for only a few minutes. Once veggies are roasted, add to meat mixture.

4.  In another frying pan, make eggs over easy to serve with the has if desired.

Tips & Tricks:

1. This hash can be made ahead of time & reheated for breakfast. Also make a double batch & you will have several meals.

5. This meal could also be made for dinner. 

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EASY HOMEMADE TAHINI

Tahini is an essential ingredient in homemade hummus but I never use the whole jar before the rest of it go bad & for me it is more cost effective to make my own. Fortunately tahini is very easy to make & takes just a few minutes. 

INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Lightly toast 1 Cup sesame seeds at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes. I set my timer because sesame seeds burn very easily & need to be closely watched.

2. After roasting the seeds, place in a high speed blender, blend until creamy as seen below.

3. Lastly, add 2 TBSP of olive oil & blend again. If you would like it to be more runny, add another TBSP olive oil. 

4. This makes approximately 3/4 Cup tahini, place in an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to a month. ENJOY!

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Lentil, Mushroom, Carrot Soup

If you like a pot of full of goodness, warmth & comfort, that’s what all the #emmasonepotwonders are all about & this is one of those recipes. This is a lighter soup, but still filling and delicious. When I made the soup, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product but it was delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 Cups Cooked brown lentils

1 medium onion chopped

Shiitake mushrooms chopped

4 medium carrots chopped

6 Cups veggie broth

Couple TBSP Olive oil for sautéing onions

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add chopped onions & carrots to soup pot & sauté in olive oil until onions are softened, than add chopped mushrooms & cook for couple minutes. Add additional olive oil if needed to sauté the veggies.

2. Add cooked lentils and veggie broth to soup pot.  Keep at a low simmer for 15 minutes to disperse the flavors. I added about a tsp of salt & pepper but you may add more or less to taste.  

ENJOY!

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Spicy Red Pepper Hummus

Hummus is a hot commodity in most parties, used as an appetizer or part of a main dish. Some of my favorite ways to use this hummus is on sandwiches, turkey burgers & as a dip for fresh veggies. This hummus is very creamy & light which you accomplish by soaking the chic peas for 24-36 hours & simmering it for 45-60min or until the peas are completely falling apart & mushy. ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups cooked Chick peas 

1 Red pepper

1.5 TBSP tahini

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp red pepper

3/4 tsp salt or more to taste

2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 TBSP EVOO

2 large Garlic cloves, minced

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Soak chick peas in water for 24-36 hours, than cook them for 45-60 minutes or until the beans are completely mushy. Drain any remaining liquid & set aside for later use.

2. While peas are cooking put oven temperature on low broil, slice red pepper, remove all seeds, drizzle with EVOO & place in oven. Next you have 2 options, roast the red pepper till skin is charred & than peel off the skin. Second option is to roast the pepper till it’s soft & not worry about about peeling off the skin.  

3. Once peas are cooked, put into a high speed blender such as a vitamix, blend on high unit peas are creamy. Than add tahini, red pepper, salt, curry powder, lemon juice & minced garlic, blend well. If the hummus is to thick, add some of the remaining chick pea liquid or drizzle in some EVOO. 

4. Some of my favorite ways to use Hummus 

Dip with veggies

Toasted bread or crackers with hummus

Hummus with lettuce/veggie sandwiches

Turkey burgers w/hummus, (recipe to come on a later post)

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No-Bake Pumpkin, Chocolate Bites.

These no-bake bites are not only delicious but are filled with healthy fats & other nutrients. They are sweetened with dates, cacao chocolate & small amount of maple syrup. Even though these are a much healthier choice than most conventional desserts & treats.  I still treat it as a dessert & only have it as a dessert for special occasions.  Whenever I use chocolate chips, I look for the ones that have at least 70% cacoa in order to receive the true benefits from chocolate. ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz dates, pitted

1.5 Cups combination of pecan, walnut & almonds

2 TBPS maple syrup

2 TBPS plain pumpkin

1 Heaping TBSP Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 Cup Cacoa chocolate chips

2 TBSP ground flax seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor & blend as seen in picture below. 

2. Next place parchment paper into a bread pan. Place nut mixture into pan & press down firmly. 

3. Cut into 8 strips. I found that the strips broke apart easily therefore I rolled them into fun easy balls as seen below :) ENJOY!

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Pumpkin Pie Spice

Pumpkin Pie Spice, is the highlight of the fall season. At least it is for me. If you find that you are  running low on pumpkin pie spice this Thanksgiving week, don’t panic. Most people have the individual spices needed to make this spice from scratch. Also I find that it’s less expensive since you may already have the spices needed in your cupboard. This recipe makes about 2oz or approximately 1/2 cup.  

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 Cup Cinnamon

1 TBSP Nutmeg

1 TBSP Ginger

1.5 tsp cloves

1.5 tsp allspice

Mix All ingredients throughly & store in a glass jar. I used a glass jar that I had previously used for another spice, just be sure to label it to help you remember which spice it is. ENJOY!

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HOMEMADE DAIRY MILK ALTERNATIVES

Many people are using dairy milk alternatives due to chronic medical diagnosis or maybe it’s just a dietary preference. Either way, nut milks can be very healthy & tasty.  The recipes described below make one quart milk, but I usually half the recipe since I’m the only one in my household that uses nut milks. 

Before using any type of nut for these recipes I always soak the nuts for 8-12hours. I have an upcoming blog on the importance of soaking nuts & grains before using them. 

I like to store my nut milks in glass jars, as pictured below. Also if you have a large amount of nuts & only use them occasionally store them in a glass jar & put it in the refrigerator to maintain its freshness. 

ALMOND MILK

Servings:  1 Quart

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds

4 cups water

pinch salt

1 TBSP maple syrup or sweetener of choice such as honey

1.5 tsp Vanilla

Soak almonds in filtered water for 8-12 hours, after soaking rinse the almonds & drain. Place almonds in high power blender & add all other ingredients & blend on high speed for 2 minutes. Next strain through a 100% cotton cloth or doubled up cheese cloth to separate the pulp from the liquid. Place liquid in a glass jar & refrigerate, it will stay fresh for 4-5 days. 

CASHEW MILK

1/2 Cup Cashews

3 1/2 Cups filtered water

2 TBSP maple syrup or sweetener of your choice

pinch salt 

1.5 tsp Vanilla

Soak Cashews for 4 hours, rinse & drain well. Place cashews, water, pinch salt, maple syrup & vanilla into high speed blender. If you have a vitamin place on smoothie setting & blend. On any other blender, start a low speed, increase to high speed & blend for 1 minute. Keep refrigerated, it will stay fresh for 4-5 days. 

COCONUT MILK

2 Cups Unsweetened shredded coconut

4 Cups water

2 TBSP maple syrup or sweetener of choice

1.5 tsp Vanilla

1. Heat water in saucepan, make it hot but don’t boil it. Put coconut in blender, add hot water. Blend on high until it’s thick & creamy, usually it takes about 2 minutes.  

2. Next Separate the pulp from the liquid by straining through a towel or double thickness of cheesecloth.  

3. Next add the vanilla & maple syrup. 

4. Store in the refrigerator, stays fresh for 3-4 days. During refrigeration, the cream of the coconut milk will most likely rise to the top. Just stir before serving. 

ENJOY!

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Spicy Veggie Sausage Soup   #emmasonepotwonders

INGREDIENTS: 

1 medium onion diced

4 carrots chopped 

Olive Oil or Coconut Oil

1 lb Spicy sausage

1 tsp each of dried thyme & rosemary 

Salt & black pepper to taste

6 Cups Vegetable or Chicken broth

INSTRUCTIONS:

Sauté onions & carrots with olive oil in soup pot, till onions are soften. Add unthawed sausage & chop into small pieces as it’s cooking. Once meat is completely cooked add herbs and vegetable and/or chicken broth. Simmer for 15 minutes. Than add couple handfuls of chopped green chard, let cook until chard has softened. Last add S&P to taste. ENJOY!

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Crockpot Creole Sausage & Chicken

SERVES: 6

INGREDIENTS: 

1 lb boneless skinless chicken tenders

1 lb spicy chicken sausage, 

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes

1/2 Cup tomato sauce

3 TBSP tomato paste

2 Cups Black Beans, cooked. The Day before I make this meal, I soak beans overnight & than put it in the crockpot. You may also use canned beans, just rinse prior to using.

2 red or green bell peppers chopped

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 TBSP brown sugar

2 TBSP dried basil

1 TBSP dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme 

2 tsp smoked spanish paprika, chipotle powder will also work, but it is more spicy. 

Cooked Basmati rice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients in a crockpot & stir. Place heat on low & cook for 6-8 hours. I usually put everything in a crockpot around 9 or 10am & let it cook on low till 6pm & have found that it does not overcook any of the food. You may also cook it for 4-5 hours on high heat. 

2. Serve this crockpot dish over rice. 

2. If you don’t want this dish to be as spicy, leave out the cayenne pepper & use italian sausage instead of the spicy sausage.  ENJOY!

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Quick 1 Cup Chai Tea Latte

This recipe is for the person that is in a rush or if you are the only person in your house that drinks chai tea. Very convenient & quick to make. 

INGREDIENTS: 

1 Black tea bag

1/2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp cardamom

2 tsp maple syrup

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk of choice, my favorite is either coconut milk or almond milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Bring water to boil in small saucepan. At the same time in another small saucepan add milk and make hot over medium heat but don’t boil it.

2. Put spices, maple syrup in coffee cup. Once water comes to a rolling boil, add to coffee cup & let tea steep for 5 minutes

3. Next place milk & tea into blender, blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Start blender at low speed & increase speed to medium rate every few seconds.

4. Place in coffee cup & sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. ENJOY!

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Nut Milk Spice Chai Tea Latte

I love warm drinks first thing in the mornings, especially when the colors of fall are out and there’s a crisp coolness in the air.  While coming up with this recipe, I used three different non-dairy milks and my husband helped me taste test all three. I used coconut, cashew and almond milk. His favorite was the latte made with almond milk & mine was the coconut milk. I found that the texture and taste of the cashew milk didn’t mesh well with the rest of the flavors of the latte. Some recipes instruct you to pour the chai tea through a fine mesh prior to mixing it with your milk so that way the spices won’t be in your final product. I do not mind the taste and texture of the spices, so I skip this step. In my next blog I will show you, how I make a quick one cup latte when I’m in a rush. Also see my blog on how to make your own non-dairy milks, which I find taste better and are much “cleaner” since made from scratch recipes do not need the added preservatives that are often found in store bought brands. I hope you enjoy this delicious drink. 

CHAI TEA INGREDIENTS: 

2 Black tea bags

 Cups water

2 TBSP Pure Maple Syrup

2 tsp Pumpkin Spice

1 tsp cardamom 

LATTE INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup chai tea recipe from above

3/4 Cup Nut milk of choice, I prefer coconut milk

1 tsp maple syrup

pinch cinnamon 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. For the Chai tea: Place water & spices into a medium saucepan. Whisk the spices & water. Allow liquid to come to a boil, immediately turn off the heat once water comes to a boil & allow the spices to steep in the water for 5 minutes. Next add the black tea bags & maple syrup, bring it to simmer than turn heat off but keep the tea bags in the water for 5 minutes.  

2. You will use 1/2 cup of the chai tea for each latte. You may store leftover chai tea in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. 

3. For the Latte: In a small saucepan, bring the milk & maple syrup to a simmer, stir often. Once milk starts to bubble slightly, take off the heat. At this point most recipes tell you to use an immersion blender to make the milk foamy, but I don’t have one & I’ve found that a high speed blender such as a vitamix works just as well to make the milk foamy.

4. Pour 1/2 cup of chai tea into a cup, than add warm milk on top. To make things easier, you can just put the tea & hot milk into the blender at the same time & blend for 30 seconds to one minute & it will still get pretty foamy. Pour into a cup and last but not least, sprinkle cinnamon on top. 

ENJOY!

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PIZZA TOPPED WITH TURNIPS, MUSHROOMS & GARLIC

Earlier this summer I had fresh turnips from the farmer’s market & wanted to find a new way to cook them besides using them as a side dish sautéed in butter like I have in the past. Adding some chopped shiitake mushrooms, adds some depth & rustic flavor to this pizza. For the crust I used the spelt flour dough recipe that is in one of my previous blogs. Instead of using the typical tomato pizza sauce, I brushed the pizza dough with EVOO, butter & minced garlic which highlights the flavors of the toppings.

*This recipe makes one 15 inch diameter pizza.

INGREDIENTS: 

2 medium sized turnips, chopped

Leaves of turnips or chopped chard. 

3 large garlic cloves minced

4 oz shiitake mushrooms sliced

mozzarella & parmesan cheese

Olive oil & melted butter for the sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat Oven to 450 degrees.

2. Use a frying pan to saute the turnips in butter, cook until the turnips are soft but not mushy. 

3. Chop the mushrooms & mince the garlic. 

4.  On the pizza dough spread approximately 1 TBSP EVOO, 1 TBSP melted butter. Than add the minced garlic, turnips, mushrooms, & turnip greens or green chard. Lastly sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. 

5. Bake at 450 until cheese is melted & I like my cheese slightly browned. Lastly sprinkle with parmesan cheese. 

ENJOY THE FINISHED PRODUCT!

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Roasted Butternut Squash, Breakfast/Dinner Hash

Since our local farmer’s market has fresh apples until late fall, I have been making apple desserts like apple pie & apple crisp. I have also been working on savory dishes with apples. Not only is this savory dish delicious it’s also very healthy. I used butternut squash and sweet potatoes. Carrots or any other root veggie could be a good addition to this dish. The finishing touch to this dish is simply topping it with an over easy egg and could be a breakfast or Dinner meal. Enjoy!

SERVINGS: 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups chopped butternut squash

1 medium sweet potato chopped

Coconut oil & Butter

1 lb plain ground pork

1 large or 2 small apples chopped, I prefer a sweet apple

1 Small Onion

1/2 tsp smoked spanish paprika 

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Salt & Pepper to taste

4 eggs

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pre-Heat oven to 425, Place choppped veggies onto cookie sheet, drizzle with EVOO, salt & pepper. Stir the veggies every 15 minute & bake until slightly crispy on the outside & soft on the inside.  

2. Saute onions in butter and coconut oil until onions are soft. Olive oil will also work well to use to sauté the onions. 

3. Add ground pork to onions, while meat is cooking chop into small pieces. Rinse apples well, peel if apples are not organic. Next add the chopped apples & cook for only a few minutes. Once veggies are roasted, add to meat mixture.

4.  In another frying pan, make eggs over easy to serve with the hash.

ENJOY!

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TOMATO PIZZA SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

1 15 oz Can Tomato Sauce

1 tsp dried oregano or 1 TBSP fresh oregano

1 tsp dried basil or 1 TBSP fresh basil

3 garlic cloves minced

1/4 tsp salt & pepper or more to taste

Place all ingredients in small sauce pan. Cover with a lid & simmer for 10minutes. 

This recipe can be very versatile. If you like stronger flavors, add more of the fresh herbs & garlic. Also, you may use italian seasoning if you don’t have the individual herbs. Enjoy :) 

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HOMEMADE SPELT FLOUR PIZZA DOUGH

Who doesn’t like pizza on the weekend? There is nothing like the crunch of a perfect pizza crust loaded with your favorite toppings. Unlike most of the carryout & store bought pizzas, made from scratch pizza is not loaded with salt, sugar, & other preservatives. This recipe makes 2 large pizzas, I use a stone pizza, with a 15 inch diameter, but of course you can use a cookie sheet. Using stoneware & high temperatures does help the dough to be more crunchy & chewy. My favorite flour to use is sprouted spelt flour. Sprouted flours help increase the digestibility of the nutrients in the flour. You can also use all-purpose flour, measurements are equal.

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Cups warm water

1 tsp Salt

1 TBSP Sugar

1 TBSP Yeast

2 TBSP Olive Oil

4 Cups Spelt or All-Purpose Flour

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pre-Heat oven to 500 degrees at least 30-60minutes prior to baking dough. If I have time I let the oven heat on for 1-2hours prior to baking, you want it extra hot so the dough will be nice & crispy.

2. Mix warm water, sugar, salt & yeast, mix well. Let set for 5 minutes

3. Add Olive Oil to yeast mixture & again mix well

4. Add Flour to yeast mixture & knead for 5 minutes. 

5. Set dough in warm place, cover with a tea towel (same as a cotton towel)  & let rise for approximately 10min, if it sets there longer it’s ok. 

6. Punch dough down. Put thin layer of EVOO onto pizza pan & your hands, this helps prevent the dough from sticking onto the pan & on your hands while you are spreading it out onto the pan.

7. If you have a rolling pin, use it to roll your dough out evenly while it’s on the pizza stone. Otherwise just spread it out evenly with your hands. 

8. Bake at 500 degrees for approximately 15minutes, I bake it till it’s a nice light-medium brown color. 

9. Next lightly brush melted butter over crust, sprinkle small amount of cheese onto crust. Last add your pizza sauce & favorite toppings. See my next post for one of my favorite Pizza Sauce Recipe.

10. My pizza stone has a diameter of 15 inches & makes 2 pizzas. I usually divide the dough & store the leftover dough in the refrigerator for a later meal. Wrap it in plastic to keep from drying out & it stays fresh for up to 2 weeks. If you are trying to eliminate the use of plastics,  put a little oil around your pizza dough & wrap it in a tea towel, it will stay fresh for a few days. 

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BAKED SPAGHETTI SQUASH

I’m always looking for easy weeknight dinners that are healthy and delicious. This Recipe is filled with healthy carbs, fats & a tomato sauce filled with veggies. ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium Spaghetti squash

1 small onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

8 oz, mushrooms chopped

1 TBSP dried basil & oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced 

14oz Jar tomato sauce or diced tomatoes blended into a sauce

5 pieces bacon

shredded mozzarella cheese or any other cheese of your choice

Salt & Pepper 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise, at this point most recipes tell you to take the seeds out that are in the middle of the squash, but I find it much easier to take out the seeds after the squash is baked. Place squash upside down onto a cake pan. I put just enough water the cover the bottom of the pan, the steam helps bake the spaghetti squash slightly faster, also then the juices from the squash doesn’t burn onto the bottom of the pan. Bake squash for approximately 45min, it’s done when a fork will pierce through the skin & squash easily. At the same time you can bake 5-6 pieces of bacon.  

While the squash is baking, make your pasta sauce. You may always use pre made pasta sauce, but homemade is always better. Sauté chopped pepper, onion in either butter, EVOO, or coconut oil. I use combination of butter & coconut oil because the coconut oil helps prevent the butter from burning in higher heat. Sauté until veggies are soft, add chopped mushrooms, minced garlic & cook on low heat for another 2-3 minutes. Garlic burns very easily so stir veggies frequently & keep heat low to prevent it from burning. Place tomato sauce into small sauce pan, add the veggie mixture, oregano, basil. Simmer for a few minutes to help the herb flavors disperse throughout the sauce. Lastly add salt & black pepper to taste. 

Once squash is done, take the seeds out if you haven’t already. Pour pasta sauce into the middle of the spaghetti squash halves. Place shredded cheese and crumbled bacon on tap of the sauce. Place back in oven & bake until cheese is melted & slightly brown, usually takes about 10 minutes. Eat with a side salad of leafy green salad, which makes for a very healthy, balanced dinner.   ENJOY!

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Tomatillo Salsa

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs Tomatillos

2 large garlic minced

2 Small yellow or white onions

1 tsp salt

1 Cup fresh cilantro

2 TBSP freshly squeezed lime juice

2 Jalapeños, deseed for less spicy salsa

2 tsp sugar if desired.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place tomatillos, minced garlic, onions, cilantro, jalapeños & lime juice in a blender, pulse until slightly chunky. Than add  2 tsp sugar if desired and 1 tsp salt or more to taste. 

2. Salsa will stay fresh in refrigerator for  up to 3 days.

Instructions For Water Bath Preservation:

1. Equipment needed: 1/2  Pint or 1 Pint glass jars, lids & metal rings or bands, water canner

2. Follow all previous instructions

3. Wash jars in hot, soapy water. Boil lids in water for a few minutes, than keep in the hot water until you are ready to use them.

4. Place salsa in a large sauce pan, bring to boil & simmer for 10 minutes. 

5. Ladle salsa into glass jars, leave 1/2 inch headspace, wipe rim, & place hot lid onto jar. Apply band onto the jar & make sure the fit is fingertip tight. 

6. Place jars in water canner, make sure there’s approximately 2 inches of water above the jars. Bring water to boil & simmer for 15min. Take jars out of the canner & place on counter for 24 hours. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lids should not flex up or down when pressed in the middle. 

7. Store in cool, dark dry, pantry.