DIY Wednesday: Cheesy Garlic Spread

January 20, 2016January 19, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Cheese and garlic are two words that need to be put together as often as possible. Who doesn’t want something cheesy and garlicky? DIY Wednesday: Cheesy Garlic Spread | Life Healthfully Lived

People who are lactose intolerant, vegan, or a vampire. While I can’t make a cheesy garlic spread that would be suitable for a vampire, I can make one for those people who don’t or can’t do dairy.

This spread could not be easier to put together, especially if you already have roasted garlic on hand (which you should ALWAYS have roasted garlic on hand), and it goes with everything. On top of soup or stew, in tacos, as a salad dressing, on crackers, as a vegetable dip. The possibilities are endless! Heck, eat it with your finger. I won’t judge.

Make sure you have a batch of this on hand for Friday’s recipe because you aren’t going to want to miss that one. It’s pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

Cheesy Garlic Spread

2/3 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight or very hot water for 4 hours
1/3 cup full fat coconut milk
2 tbsp roasted garlic
3 to 4 tbsp nutritional yeast, depending on how cheesy you want it
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Drain and rinse the cashews and place everything into a blender or food processor.
Blend for 3 to 4 minutes until everything is completely smooth. It will probably take less time if you have a high-speed blender.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

That’s it! Now go put this on everything and save a little bit for later in the week! DIY Wednesday: Cheesy Garlic Spread | Life Healthfully Lived

Sweet Potato Hash

January 15, 2016January 15, 2016 / ktbuchs87

Sweet Potato Hash | Life Healthfully Lived The time has come to share the sweet potato hash that won the hearts of my family over Christmas. And they have promised me that they really do like it, not just because it was made by me and they have to pretend to like everything that I make. It’s actually good.

Plus Adam keeps asking for me to make it which is a good indication that he really likes something. Although the boy did use to but corn syrup on his pancakes and didn’t like mac n’ cheese as a kid. Seriously, what kind of psycho doesn’t like cheese and noodles as a child? My husband apparently.

Anyway, back to this sweet potato hash. I was trying to think of something to make for a crowd for Christmas brunch that tasted good but was still a little healthy. Gotta balance out those cookies! I had a bunch of sweet potatoes lying around and instead of just roasting them up like I usually do, I decided to fancy them up a bit. Ok, not that much but I added some bell peppers, onions, and cilantro and was amazed at how just a few ingredients made such a big difference.

So if you’re looking to change up your normal breakfast hash, give this sweet potato version a whirl. Promise you won’t be disappointed!

Sweet Potato Hash

2-3 large sweet potatoes, washed and dried
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 cup onions, diced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
handful of fresh cilantro, stems removed and chopped

Once your potatoes are washed and dried, dice into small cubes. You want to make sure they are fairly small and uniform inside so they cook properly.
In a large skillet that has a lid, heat a little olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes until a little soft. Add the bell peppers and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sweet potato cubes and half the minced garlic and mix everything together.
Sprinkle everything with the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and a little salt and then cover with the lid. Let the everything cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the potatoes don’t stick to the bottom.
Once the potatoes are fork tender remove the lid and add the rest of the garlic and seasonings. Cook for another five minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cilantro and stir to combine.

This hash is awesome served with a poached or fried egg on top. But then again, most dishes are better with an egg on top. Tomorrow is Adam’s birthday so we plan to spend some time eating good food downtown and probably going to see Star Wars again.

What does your weekend look like?

Pozole Rojo

November 20, 2015November 20, 2015 / ktbuchs87

I Pozole Rojo | Life Healthfully Lived might be a weirdo (ok, I’m totally a weirdo) but I love to hear the history behind food and certain dishes. So often our cultures and traditions are built around the food we serve. Food can tell so many stories, like what was available back then, what types of jobs we were doing, if we were going through bad times or good times, or if we were celebrating a holiday. I just really geek out over how certain dishes came to be.

A few weeks ago I was trying to figure out what kind of soup to make. I wanted something new, but nothing too complicated. I have no idea how I stumbled upon it, but I found a soup called pozole. Pozole means hominy, which is a type of corn that has been treated with lime to soften the husk, and it is a traditional Mexican stew. When I think of Mexico, stew is not what comes to mind first. Pozole Rojo | Life Healthfully Lived

After a little research, I found out that pozole had a ritual significance. Maize, or corn, played a huge role in the lives and culture of Mexicans. Ancient Americans believed that humans were made out of cornmeal by the gods. In a traditional pozole, prisoners were killed and cooked with hominy and seasonings and then served to the whole community as a form of communion. Once cannibalism was outlawed, pork was substituted for human because it tasted similar.

Aren’t you glad that I’m sharing this with you? Hungry yet?

Have no fear, I am not going to make this with human flesh (I’m not Sweeney Todd) and I’m not even going to make it with pork. I decided to do a vegetable pozole and make it a pozole rojo by adding a mole sauce. I did stick to the traditional hominy, which is really delicious and I had never had before, as well as traditional seasonings.

Pozole is still served today for celebrations like weddings, birthdays, and New Years. But you can make this pozole rojo anytime and it’s a great way to warm up on a cold night.

Pozole Rojo

3 large dried ancho chiles
2 large dried pasilla chiles
2 cups hot water
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 to 5 cloves garlic
1 cup onion, diced
1 can of hominy, 28 oz (read the ingredients to check for preservatives)
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp Mexican oregano (regular would work too)
3 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 lime

Get a large skillet and heat it over medium-high. Toast the chiles until they are a little soft and bendy. About 5 minutes. Place the chiles in a large bowl and cover the chiles with hot water. Let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes until they are totally soft.
Once the chiles are totally rehydrated, take them out of the water and save the water. Cut off the tops and remove the seeds and place into a blender. Add the water they were soaked in, the cocoa powder, and the garlic cloves. Blend until you have a smooth paste.
Heat a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil and saute the onions until they are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add in the hominy, cumin, and Mexican oregano and stir to combine everything.
Pour in the vegetable broth and salt and bring everything to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust any seasonings and squeeze in the lime juice.

I served this topped with guacamole, but you could also use cilantro, radishes, or even sour cream if you were so inclined. If you want a more traditional pozole with pork, check out this recipe here. Pozole Rojo | Life Healthfully Lived

What are some of your favorite meals with some history? Any dishes that your family has always made for a special occasion?

DIY Wednesday: Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing

November 18, 2015 / ktbuchs87

I have lived in Illinois my entire life, so I am a Midwest girl through and through. I think a big stretch of farmland is beautiful, I can drive in most snowy conditions, and I know malls are the best way to shop for everything. The other thing that my Midwestern upbringing has taught me?

Ranch dressing belongs on everything.

Raw vegetables? Instantly better doused in ranch. That boring old salad? Drench it in the white stuff. Chicken fingers and nuggets were made for dunking into the nectar of the Midwest gods. I’ve even dipped french fries, meatloaf, and sausage into ranch. Don’t judge until you try it.

Unfortunately, the combination of ranch dressing on all the food and frying everything possible has made the people of this part of the country just a little less healthy. When I changed the way I ate, I begrudgingly quit my ranch habit. After a short (read: longer than I thought) adjustment period, I actually started to enjoy the flavor of my food without the aid of ranch dressing.

But there was still that fat Midwestern kid inside that wanted to swim in a vat of ranch. I decided to fix it.

I made this dressing with full-fat coconut milk and my DIY ranch seasoning and was shocked with how much it tasted like traditional ranch. It was a little runny at first, but after a few hours in the fridge it thickened up nicely. I tend to like a more watery ranch, so I let it sit out a few minutes before I use it.

The fact that it’s so easy to make this dressing and the fact that I love it on everything have made it a weekly staple. Try it on roasted sweet potatoes or mixed into mashed potatoes. It is amazing with carrots and celery sticks and is wonderful whisked into a frittata. I even made a topping with mashed potatoes and this ranch and spread it on top of my lentil loaf.

So if you have been missing ranch dressing in your healthier lifestyle, try this dairy-free version. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing

1 cup full-fat coconut milk, unsweetened
2-3 tsp ranch dressing seasoning, add more or less to your taste
1/2 tsp celery salt (sea salt will also work)
1 tsp roasted garlic (you could also use garlic powder)

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for a few minutes until everything is combined.
Pour into an airtight container (like a mason jar) and put in the fridge to thicken. Keep it stored in the fridge for up to a week.

That’s it. Easy Peasy, time to put ranch on all the things and not feel like the fat Midwestern kid you might just be at heart!

Have a great day everyone!

Caramelized Onion and Roasted Apple Soup

November 6, 2015November 6, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Have you heard the term, “soup weather”? Not to be confused with soup-y weather, soup weather is what happens when the temperatures start to cool down, maybe it gets a little rainy and windy, perhaps it’s gray and gloomy outside. Soup weather is the kind of weather that makes you just want to sit inside, wrap yourself in a blanket, and eat some soup.

It’s awesome.

Soup weather is just another reason that I love fall. Soup is one of my favorite things to make because it is so easy, but there are so many different flavors, combinations, and even techniques that can make soup feel gourmet or rustic. I could make soup every night, and because there is such variety, I wouldn’t get bored.

While I have my favorite stand by’s (like this chickpea dumpling or slow cooker minestrone), I like to try a few new recipes each year. One soup that I have never had is French Onion soup. When I was younger, I didn’t like onions so anything with onion right in the title was out. By the time that I started to really love onions, French Onion soup really wasn’t on my radar. Then I discovered caramelized onions and I decided it was time to try my own spin on French Onion soup.

Traditionally French Onion soup has a thick layer of cheese on top that you break through and eat along with the onion soup. This soup is not going to have any cheese, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious. I decided to keep it fairly simple but added in roasted apples for a little sweet taste of fall. Overall, I was thrilled with the flavor. A little sweet and a little savory.

You can save a little time with this recipe by caramelizing the onions in your slow cooker the day before. If you do that, this soup comes together really fast and that means you can spend more time snuggling in your blanket and enjoying soup weather!

Caramelized Onion and Roasted Apple Soup

4 large onions, thinly sliced (make them in your crockpot beforehand to speed things up)
1 large granny smith apple, cubed (you can also use any other tart apple)
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup celery, sliced
salt and pepper

If you haven’t caramelized your onions beforehand, heat a little olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add in the thinly sliced onions and cook low and slow until they turn a deep brown. Make sure you keep the heat LOW, you don’t want to burn or brown the onions. This should take about 20 to 30 minutes.
While you’re caramelizing the onions, you can roast your apples. Preheat the oven to 375. Place the cubed apples in a small bowl and add the teaspoon coconut oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the celery salt, fennel seeds, and allspice over the apples and toss again. Spread the apples in an even layer on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
In the same pot that you caramelized the onions, add the sliced celery to the onions and bring the heat up to medium-high. Saute the celery for about 7 minutes until soft. Add the roasted apples and stir to combine everything.
Add the vegetable broth or water to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring the whole thing to a boil. Cover and lower to a simmer. Cook the soup, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper right before serving.

Simple ingredients turned into something that tastes fancy and awesome. That’s my kind of meal!