Coconut Coleslaw

I have already given this recipe to Ashley but I made it again Sunday and thought I would share it with the rest of the Funk sistas as well.

(consider doubling it for more than 4 people)
1 lb Napa cabbage, cut into strips (about 1/2 a head)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup light coconut milk
1/6 cup low fat sour cream
1/6 cup rice wine vinegar
1/6 cup light mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, cranberries, cilantro, sugar, and coconut. In a small bowl, combine the coconut milk, sour cream, vinegar, and mayonnaise. Mix until well blended. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and mix completely. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6. May double the dressing and make it again in a few weeks.

PS-Where are all of the original Funk sistas on this here blog??? Get your blog on girls!

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Yum, yum, yum! I can't seem to get enough of this stuff. It has been a few weeks since I made it and I'm dying for more! You can alter the different fruit quantities, if you like. I like more strawberries for chunky salsa-like texture.

1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
1 medium navel orange, peeled and finely chopped
3 medium kiwifruit, peeled and finely chopped
1 can (8 oz) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

Combine ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until serving.


Cinnamon chips:
10 flour tortillas (8 inches)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Brush tortillas with butter; cut each into eight wedges using a pizza cutter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over tortillas (don't be to light...the more the better). Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes or just until crisp (watch closely). Serve with fruit salsa.

Double Trouble CCC

My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, from a visiting teacher.
Yield: 28 cookies

1 stick unsalted butter or marj, soft
3/4 c white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa
1 egg
1 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c chocolate chips
1c nuts (opt)

Preheat overn to 350 degrees. In medium bowl mix the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the cocoa, then the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat a few more seconds. Add the flour and baking soda and mix on low speed until just absorbed. Combine chocolate chips and nuts and stir into the dough. Shape the dough into balls and drop onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, let cool 1-2 minutes on pan then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Crockpot Chicken Curry

A tasty dish that I usually half (except for the carrots and potatoes).

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 large onions, sliced
16 thin slices peeled fresh ginger
8 garlic cloves thinly sliced or crushed
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen peas
3-4 chopped carrots
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander spice
4 tbsp yellow curry powder
2 cans coconut milk
3-4 chopped potatoes

Toss chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, curry, carrots, potatoes, coriander, cumin, salt and apper. Add 1/4 c water. Cover, cook on high setting in crock pot for approx. 4 hours, until chicken is fork tneder. Stir in coconut milk and peas, cover, Cook until peas are heated through, about 20 minutes. Shred chicken with forks. Serve over rice.

Fresh Asparagus Soup

This is a great spring soup. Don't skip the lemon-sour cream topping!

1 lb. fresh asparagus
2 c. chicken broth
½ c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
¾ t. fresh thyme, divided
1 T. flour
2 c. 1% low-fat milk
2 t. butter
½ t. salt
½ t. grated lemon rind, divided
½ c. light sour cream
1 T. fresh lemon juice
Garnish: fresh thyme sprig

Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Combine asparagus, broth, onion, garlic, and ½ t. thyme in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.

Process asparagus mixture, in batches, in a blender until smooth. Return to pan. Whisk together flour and milk until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture to asparagus mixture, whisking until blended. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter, salt, ¼ t. lemon rind and remaining ¼ t. thyme.

Combine sour cream, lemon juice, and remaining ¼ t. lemon rind. Top each serving with about 5 t. sour cream mixture. Garnish, if desired.

Note: Freeze soup (without sour cream mixture) for up to one month.

Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread

From Our Best Bites.com

I made this last night and it was so yummy!

2 c. flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
¼ c. butter, softened
1 ½ c. mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 medium bananas)
2 eggs
1/3 c. plain lowfat yogurt or sour cream
½ c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and level. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream sugar and butter. Add bananas, eggs, and yogurt, beating until just blended. Add flour mixture. Beat on low until just moistened.

Microwave chocolate chips in a medium bowl for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 c. batter to chocolate, stirring until well-combined.

Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter (so you have stripes of plain and chocolate batter) in an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters with a knife. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

If you really want something yummy, spread a little peanut butter on top of a toasted (or at least warm) slice.

Cassoulet D'Amore

No, I am not ashamed that my first main dish post is a casserole. Because, let's be honest, although they try to romanticize it by calling it a "cassoulet," we all know a casserole when we see one. But in its defense, it IS the Casserole of Love and Chad did in fact love it. I thought it was...pretty good. I actually made it because my doctor has been on me about eating more protein and between the parm, beans and meat, this little 8x8 wonder packs in a whopping 120 grams of protein! So for all you pregnant or nursing moms out there who need protein, or if you just want to please your husband (or FHE bros), I present the Cassoulet D'Amore.

1 1/4 lbs sweet Italian sausage, thinly sliced (Ashley, I recommend the Sunflower Market's)
6 green onions, sliced
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
14 oz can stewed Italian tomatoes
2, 15 oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (next time I would NOT use Italian flat leaf like I did this time)
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup fresh Italian or French breadcrumbs
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the sausage, green onions, and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute until sausages begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in fresh tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, beans, parsley and seasonings. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon into an 8x8 baking dish. Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over Cassoulet. Bake until Cassoulet is heated through, bubbling around edges and light brown on top, about 35 minutes.

Cookies and Cream Brownies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache

This is my first post ever on a blog. I know you are all expecting chocolate from me so I won't disappoint. Chad and I made these brownies last weekend and I think the gist of the recipe is throw-in-whatever-you-can-think-of-that-is-unhealthy. But they were a big success judging by the fact that between 4 people, after a 5 hour evening, there was only one row of brownies left. Woops.

1 box brownie mix (9x13)
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
10 oreo cookies, crushed
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 Tbsp cream peanut butter
3 Tbsp half and half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in oreo cookies until combined. Using a spoon, drop cookies and cream mixture evenly over brownie mix. Gently swirl into brownies using a knife. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

Place chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about one minute. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. May need to heat for 15-30 seconds more if not smooth. Stir in half and half until glossy then spread over cooled brownies.

Indian Lentils and Rice

We really liked this recipe, but I did make some alterations. I thought it could use more curry flavor and less oil, but overall we enjoyed it. Next time I make it I will post the changes.

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced into rings
2 cups lentils, uncooked
1 14 1/2 ounce can chicken broth (plus a little more water)
1 teaspoon curry powder, divided
1 tsp garlic powder, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups brown rice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
chopped cilantro

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, cover lentils with the chicken broth and a little more water as needed to cover them. Add half the curry, half the garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 5 minutes.

Now add brown rice and enough water to cover the lentils and rice together. Season with remaining spices and salt and pepper. Cover saucepan and continue to simmer about 30 minutes, or until rice and lentils are tender.

Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with plain yogurt, chopped cilantro and remaining onions to serve.

Simple Black Beans (refried or whole)

These are the seasonings I used in my first experimental recipe. It turned out great, but could easily be changed to suit your tastes.

1 lb black beans
6 cups water or more
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder


To make into refried beans:

Add all ingredients to crockpot and cook for 4-6 hours on high until tender. Transfer to you Kitchen Aide mixer with a slotted spoon and mix with wire beater until desired texture. Make sure to reserve some of your liquid to thin to desired consistancy. I like the Kitchen Aide because it leaves it a little textured with some whole beans. If you would like a smoother texture I'm sure a food processor would work out great.

Black Bean Soup with Tomato Salsa

I got this recipe years ago, but I think it may have come from a Williams Sonoma Cookbook. If you'd like to save yourself some time or don't have all the ingredients on hand you can always top your soup with purchased fresh salsa and cilantro. Make it a heartier meal by adding cheese, sour cream and chips.

For the soup:
1 1/4 cup dried black beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
3 cups water

For the salsa:
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup minced red (Spanish) onion
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded, and minced
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt and freshly ground pepper

Rinse beans and let them soak for three hours or more.
Drain the beans, in a large pan over medium heat warm the olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, drained beans and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently. Simmer uncovered and until the beans are very tender and begin to fall apart (2-3 hours)

Salsa: stir together the tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, limejuice, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Serve when soup is ready, and ladel the salsa on top (serves 6)