Zen Stir Fry: It will Feng Shui your Palette!

I love stir fry's. But, I got tired of the overly salted, bizarre bought bottled sauces that were flavors I couldn't identify. What is a girl to do? Make her own simple sauce of course! This stir fry is easy, and I mean EASY, and has a little bite for those of you who like the noodle house flare to thier veggies! (The sauce can be used with Ramen noodles as well for a spicy noodle treat. Yum!) It doesn't take a fortune cookie to tell you this is one meal you won't wok out on!! ;)

1 bag oriental frozen veggies (you know the peas, carrots, mini corn ones or your fav)

1 1/2 cups chicken, shrimp or beef (or omit for a yummy veggie one)

(Double the sauce amounts if adding a meat to it. The amounts given are for NO meat)

2 tsp honey

1 tsp ground red pepper flakes**

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder or chopped or jarred

Add a little water to a pan you spray with Pam. Dump in the veggies and steam them. (Or, cheat like me and microwave them for three minutes to get the frost off, and then transfer to pan. What? So, I use short cuts? So what? ;)

Add all the sauce ingredients and simmer on lower-medium heat until the veggies are done.

For the Ramen version, make noodles and drain off liquid (you don't have to use the little sauce pak thingy) then add the saucde ingredeints and cook a few minuted to melt and mix flavors. Enjoy

**I use a mortar and pestle to grind it, but a coffee grinder would work well. Or, buy it pre-ground. It's all good :)

Saskatoon Bran Muffins! The Holy Grain of Muffins ;)

I admit it. I have way more healthy ingredients in my house than a normal 29 year old ought to have. (Ground flax? Really?) So super healthy recipes have been known to be born on my kitchen. Also, I got tired of sickly sweet bran muffins that defeat the purpose of it being healthy, so these little muffins were born. With so much going for them, bran, honey, flax and berries they may be the elixer for life! (Flax is good for digestion and skin, blueberries and saskatoons are rich in antioxidents and bran is great for your bowels!)

So go against the grain and enjoy these moist, low fat and healthy muffins.

Bowl One:
1 cup flour (regular or whole wheat)
1/4 cup ground flax
3/4 cup wheat bran
1/3 cup plus two tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Bowl Two:
1 lge egg white
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup milk

1- 1 1/2 cups Saskatoons or Blueberries or Raisons

In one bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. In the second bowl, combine the next five. Mix the wet with the dry, and then mix in the berries. Bake at 375 F for 18-20 minutes (Oven depending) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and enjoy! Makes 12

Lemon Sauce for Fish? Delish!

I find fish sort of boring sometimes. There. I said it. Don't throw a rolling pin at me! But, there are things that can be done to make it tastier such as this spiky fish sauce. And then you will have one fine kettle of fish indeed!! ;)

1 garlic clove, minced (or cheat like I do and buy the already chopped jar kind. Its still garlic!)

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup mayo (real kind, not fat free. FF Mayo is too sweet)

1/4 tsp milk

Touch of ground red pepper (to taste, or omit if you don't like spice. Or sub with horseradish)

salt and pepper to taste

Mix and refrigerate. Serve with batteref or breaded fish

Herb Dip/Spread that's Herb-tastic!!

This year I planted wa-ay too many herbs for what I possibly thought I could need for cooking...or so I thought! Any cook worth thier salt will tell you that you can never plant too much of anything!

This dip is great with veggies, crackers and chips, or omit the sour cream and use it as a topping on burgers, snadwiches, pita's and roll ups. Yum-yum!!

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayo

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp chopped chives

1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Mix, refrigerate and enjoy!

**If you don't like larger pieces of herbs, blend in a food processor**

BBQ Glazed Meat Loaf! It's no loafing matter!

You'll have no beef with this moist and flavorful spin on the old stand by. I'm told this is the best meatloaf many have had.

1 lbs ground beef
1 medium onioin
1 egg beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup italian style bread crumbs (or regular ones with basil, oregano or rosemary added)
4 tbsp BBQ sauce, any kind or combination

Glaze: 1/4 - 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook onion in the oil and cool

Mix all the other ingredients together. Shape loaf in glass pan, unglazed. Cook 50-55 minutes (Oven depending) and then pull out of the oven and topp with the glaze. Put back in for 10-15 minutes more. Let stand five minutes before eating. Enjoy!

**There are so many good BBQ sauces for this recipe. Chipolte, smoky, onion and garlic, tequila even! Mix and match your favorites and enjoy!

Doggone Good Dog Cookies!!

The need to create these much begged for treats came about because I grew tired of paying upwards of $8 a bag (gasp) for 40 organic treats. I have three dogs, and that does not go far! So, born out of need, and loved by every doggie that has taste tested them, if you say cookie in my house, and there's a dog within earshot, you better bring them one of these becuase this is what they'll be begging for!!

1/3 cup ground flax (great for improving skin condition and coat)
1 1/3 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup oats

pinch of cinnamon

2 tbsp olive oil

1 heaping tbsp smooth peanut butter

1 cup warm water

Mix flax, flour, oats and cinnamon together then add the oil in the center, and then the peanut butter. Add the warm water last, concentrating on letting the water dissolve the peanut butter until it is liquidy (is that a word??) Mix all together until not crumble and a nice soft ball. (Add a little more water if crumbly, and flour if soupy.)

Roll out the dough to about 1/8" or so on a floured surface. Cut with a pizza cutter for simple treat squares or make cute bones or shapes with cutters!

Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes (Oven depending) and then turn the oven heat off, and leave to dry in the still warm oven for 30-40 more minutes. (May need to dry longer for bigger cookies) I use a large sized airbake pan and there is no room between them needed while they bake, just pack them on there!

When cool, give some to your pup's and see how much they love the crunchy snacks! This makes a fairly large batch of snacks so enjoy!

**Keeps indefiantly in a sealed container on the counter as no eggs, milk or meat are used

***Great small size for training puppies and dogs. Just wait until puppies are old enough to enjoy the treats

Earn Brownie Points with this fudgy Chocolate Brownie!!

Brownies are one of my favorite food groups. Yes, I said it, it's a food group. Nothing beats a warm, ooey, gooey brownie. Well, maybe two brownies would :)


3/4 cup margerine
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (I ilke the white vanilla. So much better tasting, in my oppinion :)
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
dash salt
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts

Pre heat oven to 350 F and grease or spray an 8" square pan (I like the glass kind)

Bleand margerine, sugar and vanilla, then add egg one at a time.

In another bowl combine flour, cocoa, salt, chips and nuts. Blend into egg mixture and spread into pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes (oven depending) or until the edges pull away from the side of the pan slightly. Let cool a little before eating (if you can leave it alone. I warn you, it WILL smell amazing!!)

Enjoy!!