Chia Pudding

I know it seems a little weird, but it is surprisingly tasty and a really healthy way to satisfy a sweet tooth.  We love this for an evening sweet snack (not even just "it's pretty good for how healthy it is" - it's seriously really really good).

1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup coconut milk
2 T agave nectar
vanilla to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
{fresh raspberries}

Mix all ingredients together very well.  Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight.  It should end up with a thick texture, a lot like tapioca pudding.  This will make 2-3 servings.

We think it is absolutely best served with a big handful of fresh raspberries.

Variations:
You can change pretty much any part of this you want (except the chia) - almond milk instead of coconut milk, honey or stevia instead of agave nectar, cocoa powder or pureed fruit instead of vanilla.

Roasted Beets

2 bunches of yellow beets
1 bunch red beets
½ lb of carrots, cleaned and sliced diagonal
1 small red onion (optional)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary, stemmed and chopped (but I never have fresh, so dried to taste works, too)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper

1. Clean the beets by washing and cutting off each end. The peels have lots of beneficial fiber so only discard any bad spots (at least that's what the recipe said. You can just peel them if you want, that is easier to do after they have been steamed).

2. Steam the cleaned beets whole for about 10- 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, dice the beets (about 1 inch).

3. Place the beets, carrots and red onion, olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary in a roasting dish. Mix gently and roast in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until tender.

4. For extra flavor drizzle 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar on top right after they come out of the oven.

*This recipe is a good side dish for 6-8 people. It also cuts down really well if you only have 1 bunch of beets. Use 1 cup sliced carrots, 1/3 c onion, 2 T olive oil, ¼ t dried rosemary, and salt & pepper to taste.

*I also seem to remember forgetting Step 2 and just throwing it all in to roast together. It takes a little longer, and the beets come out a little crunchier, but it's fine that way, too.

Vegetable Tian

This is hands down one of my favorite cooked vegetable recipes. I had small potatoes and small roma tomatoes, so I ended up using two of those to make everything else come out even.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 tsp. (2 cloves) minced garlic
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium potato
1 medium tomato
1 tsp. dried thyme
to taste salt & pepper
1 cup shredded Italian cheese

Directions:

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 180 (400 degrees f) Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Thinly slice remaining vegetables.  This step is really easy if you have a mandolin slicer, and it made me fall in love with mine all over again.  I'm not sure I'd like the recipe as much without it, because that's a LOT of thin slicing...

STEP 2: Sauté onion and garlic in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown

Spinach Molasses Sweet Potato Muffins

Because sometimes you'll do just about anything to get some vegetables into your toddler. But the adults at our house think they taste pretty good, too.

Ingredients:
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (microwaved not boiled)
1/4 cup chopped raisins
1 cup chopped, fresh spinach (frozen is fine, too, but makes it taste a little more spinach-y)
2 eggs (but I prefer to use 1/2 cup applesauce instead)
1/2 cup buttermilk (but regular milk is totally fine, too)
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line or spray muffin tins. Mix the raisins, sweet potatoes, spinach and wet ingredients in a bowl until smooth, and mix the dry ingredients in another bowl. Combine the two and mix until just blended. Spoon the batter into muffin tins and bake on the middle shelf until lightly browned (about 10 minutes for mini muffins, 12-15 for regular muffins.  Don't overbake.).