Quick Recipes

Yesterday I took my car to the car wash to get a thorough interior cleaning.  Apparently, this is called detailing.  I was under the impression that this is car detailing......

Needless to say, there was a little bit of confusion when I said I wanted my car cleaned, and the man said, "mam, we do the best detailing in town."  After seeing the sheer panic on my face, the man clarified what the process of detailing actually involves and informed me that he needed at least 2 hours get my car detailed.  Since I only had an hour, I made an appointment to return this morning.


I got there at 9 am.  I dropped my car off and walked to Panera, where I drank coffee and caught up on paperwork for two hours.  Then, I walked back to the car detailing center, where I sat for two and a half MORE hours.  O.M.G.  It took them 4.5 hours to clean my car!!!  And believe me, I know they were working that entire time.  I kept doing that awkward thing that we impatient people do....you know, sticking my head in the detailing garage, checking my watch dramatically, and sighing loudly.


And then I got really embarrassed.  Because clearly, I am a pig and my car is my pigsty.  So, I spent the next hour trying to come up with excuses to explain the state of disaster that my car was in.  Finally, the man came out, drenched in sweat and huffing and puffing, to tell me my car was clean.  And I heard myself blurt out, "oh, my husband is going to be thrilled that his car is so clean!  This was my special birthday gift to him."


(This is sort of like the time my dad flushed a bottle of cologne down the toilet and then called the plumber and told him that his daughter did it.  Or, the time my dad knocked over the peanut butter display in the grocery store and blamed my sister.  So really, this deflection of blame is a learned habit I picked up in childhood.  Clearly, I was a young, sweet, impressionable little girl, so this terrible habit is not my fault either.)


So, why am I telling you all of this?  Well, Wednesdays are my cooking days.  I always set aside some time on Wednesdays to work in the kitchen to try out new recipes to share with you.  By the time I got home, I had 10 minutes to grab carseats and go pick up the minis.  We went to the gym and shared a snack and dropped the oldest mini off at swim practice.  Then, the two little minis came home with me for about an hour before we headed to my middle minis baseball game.  So, I had to get creative with my time and tried out two new quick recipes.


The first dish is a weight watchers recipe.  It's called carrot and apple salad.  I realized once I started making it that I was out of carrots.  So, I call it apple salad.


Apple Salad (or you can get fancy and add the carrots....then call it carrot and apple salad.)

• 4 apples (I used 1 granny smith and 3 pink lady apples), cut into matchsticks
• lemon juice
• 3 cups raw carrots, cut into matchsticks 
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1.  Place apples in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice. A

2.  Add carrots, chives, oil, sugar, salt, pepper and cheese; toss to mix thoroughly. 

I had zero expectations for this salad and I have to say....it was fantastic!  We had a dinner of sub sandwiches (garlic cheddar bread from Great Harvest with organic cold cuts), orange slices, cheese slices, and apple salad.  I am certain we will be eating apple salad for lunch all summer long.  

The other dish I tried to make was roasted chickpeas.  Unfortunately, I didn't get these in the oven soon enough, so I had to pull them out to leave for baseball before they were done.  So mine ended up being mushy rather than crunchy.  I am definitely planning on re-trying this dish because the flavor was good, it was just a disaster with texture.  These would be a great snack option, or an alternative to eating nuts.

Roasted Chickpeas

• 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or your spice(s) of choice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Place chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  
2. Bake at 450 F for 30 minutes.  At this time, check the chickpeas to see if they are crunchy by tasting one of them.  If they are mushy, put them back in for longer.  
3. Transfer chickpeas to a bowl and mix thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Enjoy hot, or bring to room temperature and store in an air-tight container.  Like popped corn, the chickpeas are never as good the next day.  However, they are still quite enjoyable 3-4 days after making them.   

 Out of the oven....make sure they are CRISPY and CRUNCHY!

Coated with topping.

So, I apologize for the simplicity of today.  Or, perhaps, you prefer simple recipes?  Let me know!  And if your car is messy, please go get it detailed.  

Oh, happiness!!!!

I have had several people tell me lately that I am much better at writing than I am at talking.  Now here's the thing, I will chat your ear off, but when it comes to talking, I struggle.  I can chat until the cows come home, but I prefer not to talk about things I am worried, stressed, or upset about.  The downside of this is that I usually keep things bottled up inside, the upside of this is that I am a good listener and people sense that.  I frequently have complete strangers open up and tell me their life story.  And sometimes it's a little weird, like the lady at Walmart who showed me her hysterectomy scar.  But, every once in a while, I connect with someone and hear a story that makes me wonder "how does this person not have a book written about them."  Last night was one of those times.  I am not going to share the details of the conversation, but I know that last night my minis went to bed late because we started talking about kindness, gratitude, and life and none of us wanted the conversation to end.  I wanted them to know that I think they are perfect just the way they are, I love them, I thank God for them, and tomorrow when they wake up I will be overjoyed to see them.  And we all agreed that is a pretty awesome way to feel about someone.  And then my wise 6-year old mini said, "what if everyone felt that way about everyone?"  And we all agreed, that would be a pretty amazing world.  So, I challenged them to try it....emulate that message to everyone you encounter each day.  And my mini McGhees agreed that I should challenge all of you to do it as well.

Are you rolling your eyes right now?  I know there are some perpetually pissy people out there that just can't fathom being gracious and kind and nice to strangers.  Well, fine.  Be that way.  But be prepared that there are people like the McGhee family that will hunt you down and spread our happiness germs all over you.  And your crankiness won't stand a chance against this.....

So it's not just the McGhee family that has a happiness project in mind.  I am a big fan of Dr. Andrew Weil.  He is one of those really smart medical doctors from Harvard, so as you would imagine, I sort of have a crush on him.  And by crush, I mean I want you to be my grandpa, not I want you to be my boyfriend type crush.  I am reading Dr. Weil's book, Spontaneous Happiness.  The book examines the causes of true happiness in life and then meshes Eastern and Western philosophy, conventional and alternative medicine to come up with strategies for people to find more happiness in their life.  The book is intended for everyone, from someone who is depressed to someone who wants to find more happiness in life.  I would say on the happiness scale in life, I am a 9.8 out of 10....that's pretty damn happy!  But, I am still finding the book fascinating.

And since this is a blog about FOOD, I thought I would share one of Dr. Weil's recipes that we love love love!!!!

Tart Cherry-Apple Crunch

This is what Dr. Weil has to say about this dessert....Food as Medicine

There is no better start to a dessert than with plump, tart cherries and apples. And the walnuts in here add not only a crunchy texture, they also contribute healthful omega-3 fatty acids. The insoluble fiber in apples attaches to LDL cholesterol in the digestive tract and removes it from the body; adding one large apple to the daily diet has been shown to reduce serum cholesterol by up to 11 percent.

Ingredients

1 pound frozen pitted tart cherries 1 green apple, cored and diced 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder 1/2 cup unsweetened cherry or apple juice Nonstick cooking spray 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour 3 tablespoons grape seed oil 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to  400°F. 2. In a bowl, toss together the cherries, apple, brown sugar, and almond extract. 3. In a cup, mix the cornstarch and juice and add to the fruit mixture, stirring well. 4. Pour the mixture into an 8-inch-square baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. 5. Mix together the remaining ingredients. Crumble the mixture on top of the fruit. 6. Bake for 30 minutes. Raise heat to broil and brown topping lightly for 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven. Serve warm or cold.  (I say you're nuts if you serve this cold, serve it warm!!!!) Yeah!  A dessert even us health nuts are excited about!  We had ours after a dinner of meatloaf and cauliflower popcorn.  You all know I am not a huge meat-eater....it's gross when it's raw, it smells funny when it's cooking, and it's not all that tasty.  I would love for our family to go vegetarian, but here's the thing....Mr. McGhee is from Wisconsin.  And Wisconsinites love meat.  They also love cheese, beer, Carharts, and fast cars that race in circles.  When I suggested to Mr. McGhee that we go vegetarian, he told me no way because "I am a man and men need to eat meat."  So, I tried to disprove his theory by finding a picture of a hot, hunky male vegetarian and all I could find was this guy.  So maybe Mr. McGhee is right and men do need meat.  And since I live with 3 men, I decided to make meatloaf.  I followed a recipe from the Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook. Mr. McGhee's men-need-meat loaf 2 tbsp oil (I used olive) 2 medium onion, finely chopped 2 pounds ground meat (I used grass-fed beef) 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats 1/3 cup wheat germ (I used ground flaxseed) 2 large eggs 1/2 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt (I used yogurt) 2 tbsp chopped parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 tsp herbs de Provence 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional) 1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.  (I lined mine with tin foil instead) 2.  In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until tender.  Transfer to a large bowl and let cool. 3.  Add meat, oats, wheat germ, eggs, tomato juice, yogurt, parsley, salt, herbs de Provence, pepper, and cheese. 4.  Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and with your hands shape into a 5 x 9 log.  (I made small mini loaves instead). 5.  Bake for about an hour and 15 minutes,  or until set, golden brown, and cooked thoroughly.  I cooked my small patties for about 40 minutes.   I halved this recipe.  I know men need meat, but not that much meat!  This was plenty for the 5 of us, we even had leftovers.   We had our meatloaf with cauliflower popcorn.  I roasted one whole head of cauliflower.  Next time I will roast two. one head of cauliflower, chopped into florets  (we prefer really small florets) few tbsp olive oil garlic powder few tbsp fresh grated parmesan cheese salt 1.  Preheat oven to 400F. 2.  Drizzle oil over cauliflower and stir to coat. 3.  Spread cauliflower out on parchment lined baking sheet. (I used tin foil) 4.  Sprinkle with garlic powder, parmesan cheese, and a bit of salt. 5.  Bake for 20-40 minutes until starts to brown. The cauliflower was delish.  I thought the meatloaf was okay.  The McGhee meat-lovers gave it two thumbs up.   Have a great sunshiny day!  And be happy!!!!

Gardening!

I am so excited I can barely type right now.  I took an organic gardening class today at Angelic Organics.  That means, in my mind, I am now a farmer.  See, look at me, I even dress the part!

Everyone at Angelic Organics is extremely kind and helpful, just like the people at the local natural market.  Seriously, all these people that are down with Mother Nature are so freaking happy. 

Now, I have zero gardening experience, so I am very excited to be planning my garden.  And, I have talked Mr. McGhee into taking a class on accessing your risks and resources in starting a small farm.  There are several reasons why I think we should start an organic farm and I am on a mission to prove to Mr. McGhee based on these reasons.....

1.  We could feed our family.
2.  I could spend my mornings talking about how beautiful my tomatoes are at the farmer's market.
3.  Farming would provide great blogging material.
4.  We live minutes from a large farming store.  I take that as a sign.

And if you're wondering if Mr. McGhee gets tired of all my campaigns?  The answer is yes.  Yes, he does.  Lucky for him, he works 60-70 hours a week, so his face-to-face time with me is limited.  So, for now, we are happily planning our garden....beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, radishes, garlic, leeks, peppers, basil, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, and pumpkin.  A bit lofty, you think?  I probably should call it a farm, rather than a garden, right?

Moving on to dinner.....I have shared this recipe before, but it's worth reposting.  In fact, I'm going to keep posting it because it is delicious and freezes perfectly.  Do yourself a huge favor and make a huge batch of it and freeze the leftovers. 

Mexican Beef

• 1 (4 pound) frozen rump roast
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 (7.75 ounce) cans Mexican style hot tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons crushed garlic
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Place the frozen roast in the slow cooker. Pour the wine and Mexican style hot tomato sauce over the top. Season with garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 9 hours. When done, the roast should shred easily with a fork. Shred the roast into the juices, and mix in the chopped green onions and cilantro.               

Since you have the bottle of wine open, I recommend you pour yourself a glass.  And, since you can't freeze the leftover wine, you may as well finish the bottle. 

I serve this taco meat on tortillas.  You can make your own or be a cheater and buy these:

Flour tortillas

• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp veg shortening or lard
• 1 1/2 cups water

1. Mix.
2. Knead.
3. Roll.
4. Cook on hot skillet.

We top ours with cheese, chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado, and sour cream.  I served them with black bean stuffed bell peppers. 

Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

• 2 small peppers- any kind you’d like
• 1/2 medium sized onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1, 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch cayenne pepper for a little heat
• 1/2 cup sweet corn
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese, or any cheese you like
• fresh cilantro, salsa, and sour cream for serving

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut a slit through the entire length of each of your peppers. Place them on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, until the skins are softened and beginning to blister.
2. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add your onion and saute for 3 minutes, until beginning to soften and turn translucent.
3. Add garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
4. Stir in your black beans along with the water.
5. Add your cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and cayenne. Stir, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer the beans for at least 15 minutes, but up to 30 minutes.
6. Stir in corn. Divide the bean mixture evenly among the two peppers and sprinkle with cheese.
7. Broil for 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Garnish with fresh cilantro, salsa, and sour cream if you’d like.

**sidenote** I brushed peppers with olive oil and broiled after step 1 for a couple of minutes. I like my peppers a little charred.

Now, I expect all of you to make a huge batch of the taco meat.  You really should because next week I am going to show you how to turn it into soup.

Now, prepare to be ah-may-zed.  I really out-did myself with dessert.  The other day I bought dried mangos from the local natural market.  Now, these are not a bag of factory-dried mangos, these are mangos dried at the market.  They are absolutely delish.  And now I am convinced I need a food dehydrator.  So, that means the birthday wish list is now....food processor, VitaMix, food dehydrator, iPod, sports watch, and a designer handbag. So, you're probably wondering if Heids McGhee is a greedy, materialistic person.  And the answer yes.  Yes, I am.  I can't help it, I like things.  Particularly shiny things.  I also want a puppy.  See, I'm not materialistic and heartless.  But you better believe, if I get that puppy, I am totally putting it in this.

So, back to dessert.......

Chocolate Mangos

• dried mangos (HIGHLY recommend finding real fresh dried mangos)
• dark chocolate
• kosher (or sea) salt

1.  Melt dark chocolate in double broiler (or microwave).
2.  Dip mango in melted chocolate.
3.  Lay on sheet of parchment paper.
4.  Sprinkle with salt.

These are delish.  Like so delish, you will have to hide in the pantry to eat them. 

And, finally, I want to share an after school snack that was a total hit with the minis the other day.  I found cinnamon-whipped honey at Great Harvest.  The ingredients are honey and cinnamon.  Although it isn't local honey, I decided to live a little and buy it anyway.  Great decision.

Apple Sandwich

• 2 apples, cored and sliced
• natural peanut butter
• honey
• raisins

1.  Spread peanut butter on apple slice.
2.  Spread honey on apple slice.
3.  Sprinkle raisons on peanut butter.
4.  Sandwich two apple slices together.

Delish!  Have a great night, I am off to bed.....you know us farmers, early to bed, early to rise!