Take Back the Kitchen

Take Back the Kitchen with Alma Schneider

Sometimes we may think too much about dinner. If we just look in our fridge and pantry, we may have enough ingredients to put together a quick, simple and healthy meal in minutes. Try this one for a last minute dinner or lunch.

Collards with Pasta and Pistachios:

1/2 cup washed, chopped and sauteed collards (or any other leafy green you may have in the house like Kale or spinach)
1 1/2 cups cooked whole wheat pasta
1 TBS whole or part skim ricotta
1 TBS pistachios
drizzle olive oil
salt, pepper, crushed red pepper

Wash and sautee the collard greens and set aside.
Boil pasta until tender
Mix pasta and collard greens , top with a TBS ricotta, the pistachios , a drizzle of olive oil and some salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste. Yum!

For more great recipes, visit Alma at Take Back the Kitchen.

Posted in: Blog, Take Back the Kitchen on 02/06/2012

Take Back the Kitchen: Crazy Healthy Fruit and Nut Bars

If you are like me, you are often running out of the house in the morning, at times without breakfast. Below is the solution to the breakfast-less breakfast; homemade fruit and nut bars that are incredibly packed with nutrition. They include chia seeds which can be purchased at health foods stores and Whole Foods. Even your kids will love them. Enjoy!

Crazy Healthy Fruit and Nut Bars:
1 cup almonds1 cup raw cashews1 cup dates1 cup golden raisins

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 TBS chia seeds
2 TBS brown rice syrup
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until wet and like a paste. Press into an 8"X8" pyrex or brownie pan. Refrigerate and then cut into desired size pieces. Wrap individually in wax paper and keep refrigerated so you can grab one when you are on the go.

For more great recipes, visit Alma at Take Back the Kitchen.

Posted in: Blog, Take Back the Kitchen on 01/24/2012

Take Back the Kitchen with Alma Schneider

I love breakfast for dinner night, especially when it is Mexican. Enjoy this healthy recipe that can make use of leftovers from taco night!

Mexican Breakfast for Dinner Night
Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 eggs

Black Beans:
2 cans of black beans
3 TBS honey (I also like using Henry's Humdinger brand: http://henryssweetmiraclehoney.com/, which already has some spice in it)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Combine and let simmer on the stove until thick. Add salt and pepper to taste

Cornbread:
1 cup cornmeal, any kind
1 cup unbleached flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk (or almond milk)
6 TBS sweet butter (OR coconut oil)
1 egg, slightly beaten (optional if making vegan)
1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed corn
1/3 cup maple syrup
Combine all ingredients and bake in 8" X 8" pan for about 25 minutes or until knife comes out clean

optional additions:
cilantro garnish
Greek yogurt
sour cream
hot sauce

Directions:

Place a 2" X 2" piece of cornbread on every plate, top with beans and 2 eggs , prepared any style. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with a dollop of Greek Yogurt or sour cream and hot sauce if you like.

For more great recipes, visit Alma at Take Back the Kitchen.

Posted in: Blog, Take Back the Kitchen on 01/18/2012

Take Back the Kitchen with Alma Schneider

Happy New Year everyone! If you are trying to get on a healthier track for 2012, I do believe that this easy and fun dessert will do just the trick for you. I got it from Elana's Pantry and it is fantastic! Enjoy!

Peppermint Patties

½ cup coconut oil

¼ cup agave nectar
½ teaspoon peppermint oil (I used organic)
½ to 1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted
In a small bowl, combine coconut oil, agave and peppermint oil, mixing with a spoon
Smash clumps of coconut oil against side of bowl until mixture is smooth
Freeze mixture for a few minutes until it starts to harden, then remove from freezer
Use a 1.5 teaspoon ice cream scoop to measure out little balls onto a parchment paperlined plate
Place plate in freezer to firm up mint balls; when firm, remove from freezer
Squish balls down into flat little patties on parchment paper
Dip patties into melted chocolate (use spoon to drop patty into melted chocolate, dip and remove)
Place patties on parchment paper to harden (takes 10 minutes though on a summer day you may need to refreeze)

Makes about 12 patties

For more great recipes, visit Alma at Take Back the Kitchen.

Posted in: Take Back the Kitchen on 01/04/2012

Take Back the Kitchen with Alma Schneider

Want to make salads more of a staple in the New Year? How about making them more appealing with a delicious dressing? Here's a simple recipe that will entice you to not only make but eat more salads in 2012!

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:

3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp agave
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 tsp cumin
6 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Stir together until fully combined and refrigerate.

For more great recipes, visit Alma Schneider at Take Back the Kitchen.

Posted in: Blog, Take Back the Kitchen on 12/28/2011

Take Back the Kitchen with Alma Schneider

Want a delicious pie for the holidays that is quick and festive? Try this family favorite of mine this holiday season and all year round. Aren't you sick of pumpkin pie by now?
Key Lime Pie:

Filling:

1/2 cup key lime juice or just plain fresh squeezed lime juice like I use
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp lime zest and thinly sliced lime for garnish

Whip up these filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside in a bowl in fridge. Can do this in advance to save time later!

Pie Crust (or just buy a prepared Graham Cracker Crust):
1 1/4 cups white flour
1/2 cup veg. shortening or chilled 1 stick cold butter cut into small cubes
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS sugar
1 pinch salt

(or make the graham cracker crust or from the decadent pumpkin pie recipe on this blog)
Combine salt and flour. Add in the shortening or butter until dough is crumbly. Add the vanilla and sugar and form into a ball with your hands but don't touch too much b/c it won't get flaky. Press into a pie dish on the bottom and as high up the sides as the dough will go.

Place pie dough in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes. When cooled, reduce heat of the oven to 325 degrees. Add the filling and bake, covered with tin foil, for 40 minutes minutes or until knife comes out clean.

For more great recipes from Alma Schneider, visit her at Take Back the Kitchen.

Remove from oven, let cool and place in fridge. Serve cold with whipped cream (or Tru-Whip non dairy topping) if you like and sprinkle a little lime zest and sliced limes over the whipped cream as a garnish. Enjoy!!

Posted in: Take Back the Kitchen on 12/22/2011

Take Back the Kitchen: Tasty Cashew Kale Chips

What would you say if I told you that you could get most of your vegetables out of the way in the morning and have them be as tasty as cheese doodles? Well, these cashew, nutrient packed kale chips are just the thing for you! They take a bit of prep but are TOTALLY worth it! Enjoy!

Cashew Kale Chips:

Ingredients:
2 large bunches of curly, green kale, washed, large stems removed, torn into bite size pieces

COATING:
1 cup raw cashews, can also try with other nuts
3/4-1 cup cilantro, washed
juice of 1 lemon
2 TBS agave (optional-can use less)
1 TBS nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt

Put coating ingredients in a powerful blender or Food processor (even a mortar and pestle will do). Blend until smooth. Using your hands, massage coating onto kale pieces getting it all over the kale.

In a dehydrator:
Put on dehydrator sheets (don't worry about flattening them, they're better bunched up) and dehydrate at 115 degrees overnight or until coating is dry.

In the oven:
Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in one layer and bake at 300 degrees until dry. Keep flipping them until
are dry, start checking at 10 minutes.

For more great recipes, visit Alma Schneider at Take Back the Kitchen.

Posted in: Blog, Take Back the Kitchen on 12/09/2011

Take Back the Kitchen: Yummy Yuca Fritters

As holiday parties approach, it's always nice to think out of the box for appetizers. These yuca fritters are replicas of some tasty fritters I had in a Puerto Rican restaurant in NY over a decade ago. I hope you like them. They are also a nice alternative to the potato latke for Chanukah.

Yuca Fritters:

1 lb yuca, peeled and grated
1 green plantain , peeled and grated
1 1/2 tsp salt, more if needed
4 TBS sugar
1 egg
1 1/2-2 tsp anise seed
canola oil

Mix yuca mixture until all ingredients are combined
form 2 inch flat patties, will make about 20-25
Heat up enough oil in a pan, about 1/8 inch to fry the fritters
Fry fritters over medium heat when oil is hot,for about 5-6 minutes, flip and cook for about 3 minutes until both sides are golden brown.
Place on paper towel covered plate and salt more if need be. Serve em up with a sauce that you like, such as mayo with a bit of crushed garlic and salt. Yum.....

For more great recipes, visit Alma Schneider at Take Back the Kitchen.

Posted in: Take Back the Kitchen on 11/30/2011

Take Back the Kitchen: Black Bean Soup Recipe

Fall is certainly here and cozying up to the dinner table with a hot bowl of soup can end the day ever so nicely. Enjoy this updated classic with the sweetness of agave syrup.

Smoky Black Bean Soup:
Serves 2
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
one cup cooked black beans
1 small chopped onion
1 tsp agave syrup
optional Greek yogurt for garnish and chopped red pepper

Place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan and simmer 25 minutes. Serve with a garnish of Greek yogurt and chopped peppers.

For more great recipes, visit Alma Schneider at Take Back the Kitchen.

Posted in: Take Back the Kitchen on 10/23/2011

Take Back the Kitchen with Alma Schneider

My garden did not exactly work out this year but I did get some nice herbs from my herb garden. Before it gets too cold, pick that basil or just buy it! This pesto is easy and delicious and oh so versatile. Enjoy!

PESTO RECIPE:
2 cups packed basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cups walnuts
3 small garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a food processor, puree the garlic first. Then add in the walnuts, cheese, basil and oil. Puree until blended and keep scraping down the sides with a spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste and voila!

For more great recipes from Alma Schneider, visit Take Back the Kitchen.

Posted in: Take Back the Kitchen on 10/12/2011