Delicious Compromise!

My Darling Dollies!

Thank you for joining me. I have not been far away,  just contem-"plate" ing my next steps. I think if you move without thought and prayer it's like traveling in complete darkness; you definitely will go somewhere but you would probably run into more obstacles.

I started doing Daniel Fast friendly meals a few weeks ago and then I fell off my fast. I did not feel comfortable posting starchy, sweet and meaty meals so I paused. 

A friend suggested that I post my experience so here I am. I love blogging and I don't want to feel guilty about what I post. I have decided to post mostly recipes and articles that can be interchangeable. Let me know if you want to know more or have thoughts on the subject. I am sure I am not the only one who has gone through this.

Other than that I'm doing what I am moved to do.

Breaking Bread

Herb Rolls

My perfectly foodie Doll Babies!

I miss you so very much! Hopefully you have been well. I am certain many of you are still fasting for the Lenten season. I do commend you all. Tonight I am posting a rolls recipe that I made for my family it uses yeast so eat this when you are able if you cannot have it now. I took this from http://www.bigoven.com/.

The site has great recipes from its members. You can join, try the recipes and vote on them as well. If that isn't enough, you can also add the site as an app on your smartphone!

Herb Rolls

3 1/2 cups flour

1 large egg

1/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp. of each:

Rosemary, minced

Dill, minced 

Water

Sugar

Table Salt

Sea Salt

Yeast

Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350*. The pictures below instruct for the rest of the steps.



Rosemary, dill, butter, sugar,
egg, salt, chives & yeast




Add yeast to 1 Tbsp. warm water. Let sit for a minute
then add eggs, sugar, herbs, salt and milk, blend
then add flour except for 1/4 cup. Blend well.









'


                                                        







make 12 balls out of dough roll in
palms of hands. Place in greased 9"x13"
 pan bake 25 mins or until brown.



Add enough flour to keep dough
from being sticky then knead dough.




My Doll Babies, please know that these rolls are dense and harden quickly. You can steam them or eat them right away. My children were really into them! Please enjoy!

MJ





  







Satisfy your Sweet Tooth

Daniel Fast and Vegan Friendly Dessert

Sweet Potato, Apple, Banana Crunch





Sweet Potato, Apple, Banana Crunch

1 sweet potato

2 bananas (keep peel on)

2 tart apples

1/2 cup Soy Milk

Topping:

1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake sweet potato for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tender, banana 45 minutes or until soft and skin is completely black and apple for 1/2 hour to keep its firmness. Allow fruit to cool. Refrigerate. While fruit is cooling put raisins, almonds and nutmeg in food processor or blender until it turns to crumbs may take 30 seconds or up to a minute, set aside. Slice the fruit and plate. Pour milk over fruit. Sprinkle with topping. Enjoy!

Even if you fall off of your fast, you can always try again,

Love you to pieces and pieces!

MJ 

Good Eatin'!

Good Food, Good You!



Penne Pasta, Plantains and Green Beans



My Dollies! This meal was not hard to make. I must say truthfully I thought that it would be bland. It takes time for your taste buds to adjust to this simple way of eating. That is why I love to cook with garlic, onion, spices like, cumin,cinnamon, nutmeg and curries. Many herbs can make all the difference in the world such as, rosemary, cilantro tarragon and basil! Please get to know your seasoning rack!

Let's dig in shall we?

Wheat Penne Pasta with Tomatoes,

Onion, Green Pepper and Jalapeno

1 box wheat penne pasta

2 cans diced tomatoes with basil and garlic (drain)

1/2 red onion (sliced thin)

several jalapeno peppers (from the jar)

1 small green pepper (sliced thin)

Sea Salt to taste

Prepare pasta as stated on box. Set aside. In a pan with 2 Tbsps. oil (canola or olive) saute' onions and green peppers until tender. Set aside. In same pan heat tomatoes until boiling. Place a few jalapenos in the pan to heat them. Plate noodles. Tomatoes will have juices feel free to spoon tomatoes and juice as you like over pasta. Add sauteed vegetables on top.

Garlicky Plantains

3 plantains sliced (1"-2" thick)

4 Tbsps. Oil (canola or olive)

1 tsp. garlic powder

Sea Salt to taste

In pan on medium heat, add oil. add all plantains to pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain. Let cool. Smash all slices until the middles show with your hand or flat strong utensil. Heat oil again, add a little more if needed. Return plantains to pan and cook until a little darker. Drain and sprinkle with salt and garlic. NOTE: Make this last when preparing as a side dish. Serve hot.





Tasty Fasting!

My Sweet Spiritual Friends and Family!

If you are choosing to fast or "sacrifice" certain foods for your faith this and next month, we will be taking a look at healthy choices and more, here at Cooked!
The Daniel Fast
is very popular amongst people of Christian faith and can be challenging in terms of finding the right "approved" foods. Let's go it together and be healthy and spiritually sound!

Organization helps! Doing your special shopping ahead of time and meal planning are good ideas.
Nothing is better than prayer in my book.

These are probably the most key ingredients during this time:

Prayer

Water

Snacks

Tasty Meals

Today I kept almonds, raisins and water close by. 

Almonds are fatty that's true and high in calories but it's not as bad as some other things I will not bring up!

Keep it moving Dollies!

TONIGHT'S DINNER:

Wheat Penne Pasta with Sauteed Tomatoes, Onions, Jalapenos & Green Pepper

Zesty Green Beans

Garlic and Basil Plantains

DESSERT

Sweet Potato & Apple with Sweet Crunchy Topping

Pictures coming tonight!

FASTING TIP:
Save-a-Lot Markets have Daniel Fast Approved: Wheat Penne and Spaghetti pastas for very cheap!

God Bless!
MJ

My Potato Salad!

Who doesn't have THE best potato salad?

Or at least knows someone or three that claims to have the best. While I do love my potato salad, I believe that the issue is that potato salad's beauty is in the eye of the beholder or taster! Some of us like it zesty, other's sweet and yet others may want it a little tangy. "Is that mustard?", "Oh I always use boiled eggs", "You got to sprinkle a little sugar on it". Love it or leave it, here is Mama Joy's Rendition:

MJ's Red Potato Salad

3lbs. Red Potatoes (small soft fleshy variety)

1 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise (registered)

1/2 cup celery, diced small



MJ's Red Potato Salad

1 medium red or yellow onion minced

1/8 cup sweet relish

1 tsp. yellow or spicy brown mustard

1 tsp. Lawry's seasoned Salt (registered)

1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning (registered)

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder (halved)

1 tsp. parsley flakes and more for garnish

Optional:
3 hard boiled eggs, diced,
Several cherry tomatoes sliced.

Quarter potatoes then add to a pot with enough water to cover all potatoes. Add 1/2 tsp. garlic powder to water. Boil until potatoes are tender with the prick of a fork. (Some folks like the potatoes hot for the next step, I prefer them to be cooled down a bit). When done, drain and rinse with cold water a couple of times. Drain again. Use a cloth or towel to blot dry if need be. Dice potatoes and place in large bowl. Add all other ingredients except optional items and blend well. If you like, fold in eggs then garnish with parsley and tomatoes.

Hope you love it Dollies!

MJ

Pizza for you!



Crunchy Feta Cheesy Heaven

Wonderfully fresh & crunchy, chewy goodness!



My sweet Dollies! This pizza uses a  pizza dough I bought from Walmart (r) in their frozen foods section. The dough comes in a frozen ball and costs about $1.40 you can get a bunch of these. Thaw the dough completely. It may stick to the plastic small bag it comes in. Carefully remove it with your fingers.

Pizza Ball (thawed)

1 cup feta cheese

1 cup stewed tomatoes or 2 diced Roma Tomatoes

1 tsp basil (dried)

1 clove crushed garlic

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 onion thinly sliced

1/2 roasted red pepper (julienned)

Prepackaged dough is easier

Press out dough with your hands

Fold up & pinch over sides 

Add fresh toppings

Heat oven to 400*. On a greased cookie sheet, spread out dough evenly. Press feta into dough with back of spoon (not too hard). With a slotted spoon, add tomatoes, not juice onto pizza. Spread onions across pizza. Sprinkle on dried herbs and garlic. Brush olive oil onto crust. Bake for 15 minutes. check crust and toppings. If not hot and beginning to brown, return to oven until crust is browning and onions are as well. If you are not satisfied with pizza temp, place pizza on lowest rack then turn oven to broil just until it gets hot. Cheese should be melting. This is so quick, easy and delicious. I am starting to make it as our dinner roll with extras!

Hope you enjoy this Dollies :-)

M to the J