We recently went to Disney's Epcot in Orlando Florida. Right now they are doing their Flower and Garden Festival and their beautiful themed topiaries are not to be missed! While visiting Epcot's Morocco, we at at Restaurant Marrakesh. They have this TO DIE FOR lentil salad. In a park as huge as Epcot, with so many wonderful culinary choices, to say something was my favorite thing I ate all day really means something. This salad is super fresh, flavorful, and healthy! And it's also easy to make. So as you know from past experience with this blog, those things make it a real winner. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cup green lentils

1/4 red onion, finely diced

1 bell pepper, finely diced

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons mayonaise

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions: 

Place lentils in a pot of 4 cups of cold water. Turn on heat to high and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and rinse with cold water to stop the lentils from cooking. Mix the lentils with all of the other ingredients. Make sure you have diced everything very finely, because you will want your onion and pepper pieces to be the same size or smaller than 1 lentil. Refrigerate until cold. Adjust seasoning as needed. 

This salad is one for the books. You will love how low in fat, full of flavor, and delicious this recipe is. You might just be able to pretend you are somewhere exotic like Morocco, or at least Orlando. :) 

Time to resurrect an old favorite from almost 5 years ago when this blog first started. We have so many new readers, I thought it was time for us to share this treasure of a recipe again. 

When the Nelson's lived in France, Peggy bought a small little french cookbook called "The Best of France" at Harrods in London.  It's a family favorite. Every recipe is amazingly great. So for your dining pleasure, here is the best french onion soup recipe you'll ever encounter: 
    
Ingredients:                                          

1 1/2 lbs thinly sliced onions, about 3 large onions.  * see note
3 Tbs. butter
1/8 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. flour
6 cups beef stock
1/2 cup white wine
Bouquet Garni *  see note
8 slices french bread ( I use baguette)
melted butter
 garlic halved
1 cup grated Gruyere 
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

IN a large pot over medium heat, cook onions in butter with salt and a little pepper.  Stir occasionally until soft.  Add sugar and continue to stir until onions become  golden brown, Careful don't let burn.  Add flour and continue to cook 3 more minutes.  Add stock, wine and bouquet garni.  Cook partially covered for 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Arrange bread on a baking sheet brushing with melted butter on both sides.  Bake for 15 minutes,  turning over half way through until golden brown.  When just out of oven, cut a  garlic clove in half and rub each piece of bread with the garlic.


Remove the Bouquet garni from the soup and pour the soup into ovenproof bowls.   Place the toasted bread on top of each bowl.  Depending on the size of bread you may need to use 2 pieces of bread per bowl.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake the soup for 15 minutes.  Then turn on the broiler to high.  Broil the cheese until browned and bubbling.  Watch closely.     Serves 4
                                                 
Don't let a word like "Bouquet Garni" scare you from a recipe.  What your basically doing is putting some herbs in a small package,  like cheese cloth.   In this recipe I just throw in 2 bay leaves, a piece of celery,  about 1/2 tsp dried thyme and a sprig or 2 of parsley.  Then at the end I fish out the bay leaf and maybe the parsley and celery.

 Bon Appetite!

Tonight we made a mixed grill skillet for dinner. It's very simple and has few ingredients, but it is so good. It's similar to a hash, but without the egg. This would be a perfect hearty breakfast, but it actually makes a wonderfully satisfying dinner as well. It has charred peppers, sautéed onion, juicy sausage, and crispy potatoes. Its a simple and easy last minute dish that no one will feel sorry for eating. 

Ingredients: 
2 bell peppers, diced, diced (choose 2 different colors to make the dish pretty) 
7 red potatoes, diced
1 onion
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried lavender
Salt & Pepper to taste
6 sausages , sliced (We used Aidells Bacon Mushroom & Swiss Cheese Sausage from Costco because its Nitrate free and has great flavor!) 

Directions :
In 2 separate skillets add your sausage pieces and cook on medium high heat until charred and crispy. Remove from the skillets and set aside, keeping the remaining grease in the pans. In one of the skillets add your potatoes, salt and pepper them, then cook until golden brown and crispy. In the other skillet add your bell peppers, onions, herbs, and salt and pepper them as well. Cook until soft and caramelized. Add back your sausage and mix the two skillets together. 

This simple and satisfying dish is one your family will ask for again and again. Enjoy!

Sometimes when you invent a recipe, the food heavens align and everything turns out perfectly. That's how I felt the first time I made these enchiladas. They are creamy and full of unique delicious flavors. This recipe is actually incredibly healthy when it comes to most enchilada recipes I've seen; but it doesn't taste like a healthy recipe! The whole time we were eating my husband was like "Does this have cream in it? Does this have chicken in it? How much cheese did you use? It tastes like there is a rich mole on this! This recipe is a keeper! Best new recipe yet!" High praise. While this recipe doesn't have an expensive protein or unhealthy cream in it, it totally satisfies. I love meatless meals that my husband approves of! Plus it comes together in a snap, I love easy meals that my stomach approves of! 

Ingredients:

6 whole wheat tortillas 

1 can black beans, rinsed 

1 large onion 

1 garlic clove 

1 avacado

3 Roma tomatoes 

2 tsp chili powder 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

1 tablespoon water

2 tsp oregano 

1 medium sweet potato, skinned & shred (should make about 1.5-2 cups) 

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper 

Heat oven to 450. 

In a blender, puree the tomatoes, avacado, chili powder, half the onion, 1 tablespoon veggie oil, water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until smooth.

Heat 1 tablespoon veggie oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the other 1/2 of the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes until soft. Add the black beans, sweet potato, oregano, and ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Cook stiring frequently until the sweet potatoes are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese. 

Spray a 9x13 pan with non stick spray. Fill your tortillas with the bean mixture and roll into enchilada shapes and fill pan. Cover rolled tortillas with blender sauce. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. 

Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Serve and enjoy! 

A meatless meal that satisfies your craving for a stick to your ribs dish. Unique and flavorful combinations that your family won't soon forget. Easy on the waistline and pocketbook, a cinch to pull together, what's not to love? These are one of my favorite ways to eat enchiladas ever, you've gotta try them. You won't regret it. 

Bon Apetite!