Chicken cashew stir-fry

There are a lot of recipes for this meal out there, so you can pretty much make it with whatever ingredients you like. Here's what I used (measurements depend on the number of people you are making for and how flavorful you want it).

Chicken cashew stir-fry

Canola oil
Boneless chicken breast
Frozen vegetable stir-fry mix
Frozen chopped spinach
Cashews
Toasted sesame seeds
Caramelized onions
Pineapple pieces
Low-sodium soy sauce
Black pepper

Dash of...
Ginger
Basil
Molasses
Lemon juice

Heat oil and add chicken, stir for about a minute and add vegetables and spinach. Cover and cook until veggies are no longer frozen. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook uncovered until heated through and chicken is done. Serve over rice.

Pumpkin bread with pecans, raisins or chocolate chips

Alright, folks, it's been a while. Let's get right to the recipes. Here's one for those who still have a can of pumpkin in the pantry.

Pumpkin bread

2 cups wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, salt
1 can plain pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
2 eggs (or egg substitute)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup soymilk or milk

possible mix-ins:
chocolate chips
raisins
pecan pieces

Beat eggs and add sugars, butter, milk, spices, vanilla, salt, pumpkin, baking powder and soda. Fold in oats and flour, then fold in whatever mix-in(s) you want. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour (leave plenty of room in the loaf pan for bread to rise while baking).

Vegetable noodle soup

There are so many good things about soup, beyond warming and filling you on a chilly day. First, it's easy. Really easy. Ok, creamed soup is a bit harder, but for regular ol' broth soup, you don't need to measure each ingredient exactly or add them in a specific order. Just throw everything in a pot, turn on the stove (or slow cooker) and go read a book. Related to this, soup can be completely custom based on the ingredients you like. If you don't like peas, don't add peas! If you like lima beans . . . well, you go for it. Also, soup is one of the least expensive meals you can make; it's filling, makes many servings, freezes well and doesn't require all fresh ingredients. Last, if you happen to have leftover lentils, this is a great way to use them.

Vegetable noodle soup

sodium-free chicken bouillon (use directions on package to determine water-bouillon ratio)
dry lentils
pinto beans
frozen vegetables (I used a few bags of mixed veggies that included peas, carrots, corn, onion, potato and celery)
whole wheat shell pasta, cooked
black pepper
sea salt
other spices/herbs to taste, such as bay leaves, marjoram and turmeric

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, stirring in bouillon, bay leaves (remove before serving), salt, pepper and other spices. Add other ingredients and reduce heat. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until ingredients are soft. While soup is cooking, make pasta according to instructions on the package. Drain and set aside. Add pasta to soup and heat for another couple of minutes. Serve with fresh bread or crackers.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Tuna loaf: An easy recipe for a busy month

I've made salmon loaf before, but that requires a bit more time to remove the skin and bones from the salmon. The canned tuna, however, makes for a seriously easy dinner.

Tuna loaf

3 cans light tuna (in water, drained)
2 T olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 C whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 C milk or soymilk
season to taste:
garlic pepper
cumin
basil
marjoram

Combine all ingredients and stir until well mixed. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 mins. Makes three mini-loaves.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Vegetable chili

This takes very little preparation and makes enough chili to last the week (or freeze half of it). You can also make it with other veggies if you prefer. I originally made this with yellow squash instead of carrots, but I decided the carrots would be better next time. Serve with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Vegetable chili

about 5 cups presoaked, dried kidney and red beans
5 to 5 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 bag (about a pound) frozen cut carrots
10 oz frozen diced bell peppers (I used green)
1 pound frozen sweet corn
12 oz frozen chopped onions
1 medium eggplant, chopped
1 jalapeño, diced
3 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1/2 to 1 cup red wine
2 tsp cocoa powder
season to taste:
black pepper, salt, coriander, chili pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper

Boil water, beans and salt in an 8-quart pot for about 1/2 hour. Add veggies, spices and wine and simmer for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours until beans are fully cooked.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Easy pasta with peanut sauce

If you like peanut butter as much as I do, here's a recipe that can be ready in 15 minutes and is a nice change from tomato sauce.

Easy pasta with peanut sauce

whole wheat pasta
natural peanut butter (no extra oils or sugars)
garlic
red bell pepper, chopped
milk (or coconut milk)
curry powder
ground cayenne pepper
spinach 
olive oil

Boil pasta according to directions. In a separate pan, heat olive oil and add large handfuls of spinach, stirring continuously until the leaves are just wilted. Set aside. In the same pan, over low heat, stir together one or two large spoonfuls of peanut butter and a little milk. As the peanut butter melts, add milk a little at a time until sauce reaches desired consistency. Add red pepper. Stir in garlic, curry and cayenne according to taste. Add the spinach back in, and follow with pasta until everything is well heated and mixed together.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)