Sunflower Seed Bread

Sunflower seeds are another immunity boosting food. According to wholeliving.com - "Two tablespoons give you more than a third of your daily requirement of vitamin E. This vitamin helps you resist the flu and upper-respiratory infections by boosting production of T-cells, a type of white blood cell that fights infection."

Sunflower seed are great on their own, in a healthy trail mix, on a salad, and even in baked goods. Here's a recipe for a wonderful bread (from allrecipes.com). Bake some up, serve it with Garlic Soup and you'll be fighting off that cold in no time! Enjoy!

Sunflower Seed Bread

• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/3 cups whole wheat bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1. In bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl), mix togther warm water, honey and yeast. Let proof for 10 minutes.
2. To yeast mixture, add butter, flour, salt and seeds. Add any necessary flour and knead for about 10 minutes, or until dough is soft and slightly sticky to the touch.Let rise in an oiled bowl for 1 hour (in microwave - see tips from my original bread recipe).
3. Gently punch down dough and shape into loaf. Place in large, greased loaf pan then let rise again for 45 min (covered). While rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, slice and ENJOY!

Ginger Lemon Tea

There are many natural remedies one can take to help ward off the side-effects of a cold or the flu. As soon as I feel the slightest hint of an illness coming on, I begin to take zinc. I swear by it! I even give it to my boys, when needed. I also try and drink a tea with a tsp of honey, each night (even though I am not a fan of honey). Honey has been proven to shorten the duration of a cold, it helps soothe sore throats, and can even suppress a cough! Here's a great, natural recipe (using honey and ginger) that's sure to provide great relief when you are in the middle of a nasty cold or flu. It will warm you and hopefully decrease your body aches. Recipe comes from lindsayfields.com. Enjoy!

Ginger Lemon Tea

• 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• pinch ground cayenne pepper

1. Simply combine all ingredients with 1 1/2 cups hot boiling water. Strain and drink as a warm tea. ENJOY!

Roasted Garlic Soup

It's the heart of cold and flu season right now. I am currently fighting off a cold (which I must note that I caught from M). Pretty sure Big D brought it into the house. I just want to send it OUT of the house now, without it wreaking any more havoc! I was reading wholeliving.com earlier, in the search of immune boosting recipes. One that sounded very appealing to me was Roasted Garlic Soup. Did you know that garlic is "regarded as one of the most potent cold and flu fighters"? This soup recipe does double duty when you're feeling down - it will warm you up and it will help you fight off your illness more quickly! Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Soup

• 2 garlic bulbs, cloves separated, plus 2 cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled, and cut into six-inch wedges
• 4 fresh sage leaves
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
• 1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup good quality dry sherry
• 3 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 6 slices (3/4-inch thick) whole-wheat baguette, toasted, for garnish
• snipped fresh chives, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400. Toss whole garlic cloves, potato, onion, sage, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a large ovenproof skillet. Cover, and transfer to oven. Roast, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the garnish: Put remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and the sliced garlic into a small skillet. Cook over low heat, swirling skillet occasionally, until garlic is browned but not burned, about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic slices to paper towels to drain.
3. Remove skillet from oven, and stir in 1/3 cup water. Cover, and return to oven; roast until potato is deep golden brown and garlic and onion are very soft, about 20 minutes. Transfer garlic cloves to a plate, and let cool slightly. Squeeze garlic from skins into skillet; discard skins.
4. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add sherry, and cook, stirring to scrape up browned bits, 1 minute. Add stock and 1/2 cup water, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly.
5. Puree vegetable mixture in a blender in batches. Press through a fine sieve into a medium saucepan. Heat over low heat; stir in lemon juice, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
6. Divide soup among 6 bowls, and garnish with toasted baguette slices, fried garlic, and chives. ENJOY!

Rosemsary Chicken and Potatoes

This was tonight's dinner. It is truly healthy and delicious. I only had chicken thighs on hand, but you could just as easily make these with chicken breasts. Enjoy!

Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

• 6 med-sized potatoes, cut into wedges (I used both red and white)
• 1 tbsp EVOO (plus a drizzle)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• s&p

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a shallow baking dish, place potato wedges and drizzle with oil. Toss to evenly combine. Sprinkle rosemary, oregano, garlic powder and salt over the top. Place in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from oven, stir/flip potatoes, then lay chicken pcs on top. Drizzle chicken with a tiny amount of oil and sprinkle with s&p.
4. Bake in oven for 35-45 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove, serve and ENJOY!

Fresh Rhubarb Pie

Spring is right around the corner. Which means soon we can enjoy fresh, local fruit and veggies again. Here's a recipe using one of Spring's first offerings - Rhubarb. Rhubarb is full of vitamins, protein and antioxidants. It can be pretty tart, which is why this recipe (from allrecipes.com) uses a good amount of sugar. If you can find a natural sweetener, you could substitute the sugar with that (but again - avoid products with aspartame!). Enjoy!

Fresh Rhubarb Pie

• 4 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1 1/3 cups white sugar
• 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 -1 tbsp butter
• 1 - 9 inch double crust pie pastry (use my Pate Brisee recipe for a wonderful crust!)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Combine sugar and flour. Sprinkle 1/4 of the mixture over the bottom pastry in pie plate. Top with chopped rhubarb, then sprinkle remaining flour/sugar over top. Finally, dollop with a little butter and cover with top crust.

3. Place pie on lower rack in preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn oven temp down to 350 degrees. Bake for an additional 40 minutes (cover edges of crust if starting to brown too much).

4. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before slicing. ENJOY!

Easy Irish Beer Bread

Last recipe for St Patrick's Day (btw - I know I am early, but today is the last day, so I won't be able to share these next month!). This recipe is super easy and super yummy! Original on food.com. Enjoy!

Irish Beer Bread

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 12 ounces STRONG, room temperature beer

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 1 loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients together until just combined.
3. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes.
4. Let cool, serve and ENJOY!

Colcannon Irish Potoates

Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish consisting of cabbage and potatoes. Cabbage has numerous health benefits. This dish is tasty and healthy. Enjoy!

Colcannon Irish Potatoes

• 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups cabbage, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 tbsp butter
• s&p to taste

1. In a large saucepan, bring potatoes to a boil, then cook for about 8 minutes, or until they are almost tender. Add cabbage and leek, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.
2. Drain well, then mash everything with milk, butter and s&p. Serve and ENJOY!