Foods High In Iron

Old fashioned homemade baked ziti is a comfort food that brings back great memories of family get togethers! Although there are as many baked ziti recipes as there are grandmas, this recipe is the one I always use. It is easy, requiring only 5 basic ingredients and it's a real crowd pleaser. In addition, it freezes beautifully ( before or after baking) , and is absolutely lip smacking either way! Do you have to be Italian to love baked ziti? No, it seems like everyone loves it, so it's a perfect recipe to make for company. I only make it when my daughter- in -law Jackie visits because she is a pasta lover. Of course once it's made, everyone else enjoys it too! The recipe is so simple and basic, I never thought of posting it before. However, when I looked through my cookbooks, I couldn't find a recipe for baked ziti. So, I decided to make it easy on myself and record my recipe right on my blog. Of course I found hundreds online, but they where not as simple as grandma...

Happy Passover! Looking for easy vegetarian and or gluten free Passover Seder ideas? I've dived into my recipes and created a traditional Kosher for Passover Seder menu for you that is both GF and Vegan! Choose from the recipes listed below. Hope you get some inspiring ideas and enjoy a delicious meal. If you are not vegan or GF the recipes are still delicious and make a great parve ( non dairy)  side. Passover Seder Recipes Charoset  ( vegan and GF) Matzo Balls ( vegetarian and  GF) Matzo Ball Soup ( tastes like chicken type broth) (Vegan and; GF) Horseradish Soup   -Light and creamy with a slight kick ( Vegan and GF) Mock Chopped Liver ( Vegan and GF) Stuffed Tomatoes and Stuffed Peppers  ( Vegan and GF)  Quinoa stuffed Peppers  ( Vegan and GF)  Mini Potato Kugel Muffins Honey Roasted Brussel Sprouts  Vegan and GF)  Moroccan Carrots with cilantro and lemon dressing Healthy Chocolate Pudding ( vegan and GF) Chocolate Dipped Strawberrie...

Need a quick Weight Watchers lunch idea? Chick Peas are high in protein, flavor, fiber, and vitamins - ! This simple vegan chick pea vegetable salad is REALLY easy and FAST to make and is delicious. I just opened a can, lightly mashed the chick peas with a fork, added some chopped red onion, a little chopped celery, chopped red sweet pepper, parsley, dill, lemon juice and spices, and topped it with a flavored balsamic vinegar ! A healthy rainbow packed lunch in minutes and it's filling, fast, and hearty. Yet, kind to my waistline- with only 2 Points Plus. I made this recipe for one. Why? Because I'm trying to follow WW and I wanted it to be very low in points. On Weight Watchers the chick pea mash is about 2 points Plus per serving. ( which is the entire recipe) Want to serve more people, just double, triple or quadruple the recipe. The best part of it is that you can eat the chickpea mash on a romaine lettuce leaf instead of bread. I know there are delicious gluten free  brea...

Do you love chow mein? I do, and I really loved this low carb recipe even more because instead of high carb noodles, it uses spaghetti squash!   I was really intrigued when I saw this recipe on Pinterest  using spaghetti squash. I'm always looking for new recipes to use my spaghetti squash! I ordinarily make an Italian type recipe with tomato sauce ,but this is the first time I'm using my spaghetti squash in a Chinese style recipe. I have to tell you , it was one fabulous recipe ! It could be eaten as a delicious side dish or over brown rice ( if you don't mind the carbs) to make it more filling as a meal. ( Of course you could add a protein of your choice as well)  Without the rice, it is a relatively low calorie/low carb recipe with about 2 Points Plus per generous serving ( basically from the olive oil). And it's a powerhouse of antioxidants from all the veggies, fresh garlic, and fresh ginger.  Don't overcook the vegetables as they taste good with a little cru...

Are you a lasagna lover? This zucchini lasagna is made with sliced zucchini strips instead of pasta noodles and is absolutely so delicious you will not even miss the noodles. Quick, Easy, Healthy But what you'll love most about it is how quick and easy you can prepare it.  You can assemble it the night before and cook it when you get home from work. It's always a challenge to find healthy recipes  for your family that fit into your busy working schedule. This is an easy recipe which cuts down on carbs but not flavor.  Truthfully, this recipe was very fast and easy to make and helped me use up some of the abundance of zucchini that I have right now. How much zucchini do you have ?? Loaded with Zucchini ? I received 8 medium-large organic green and yellow zucchini from my CSA farm. It was truly a challenge to eat them all before they went bad. So, I made a variety of zucchini dishes this week. Each recipe was different from the others, and each was real...

Low carb individual sized gluten free mini pizza crusts are great to eat for a healthy lunch, dinner, or snacks. Once you get the hang of ricing cauliflower in your food processor ( very easy in 5 minutes) , this recipe is a cinch! Cauliflower is a low carb yet nutrient rich vegetable that you can substitute for grain in most recipes and it tastes great this way.  I can make these mini pizza crusts without using any flour . That means I can eat not only a healthier crust but also eliminate the high carbohydrate content of regular dough . That works for me! The recipe makes 12 mini pizza crusts . I calculate that each crust is just 1 Point Plus on WW+ the topping. Yes,- I'm back counting points on Weight Watchers after a long time partying! I put on some weight, struggling with my clothes, and realize it's time for me to start counting those points again and eating more consciously. I know that I need to start my day with a food plan. It's just that simple- otherwise the l...

This festive Asian Quinoa Slaw  will make a beautiful presentation at any BBQ. It's a colorful healthy recipe that includes shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, crunchy pecans, raw sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and chopped green scallions and is mixed with a generous portion of flavorful tricolored quinoa and Asian dressing. The healthy salad  is perfect for any vegetarian, gluten free, or vegan guests , while the meat eaters will enjoy this salad as a complementary side dish to their grilled food. Best of all, it's easy  to make. Simply shred the cabbage and carrots yourself or if you are in a hurry you find bags of shredded cabbage and carrots in the supermarket.  Then you can just assemble this awesome salad in a jiffy!  The Asian dressing adds a delicious subtle sweet and tangy taste that makes it special. Although quinoa is relatively new on the American scene, the Incas have been eating this nourishing seed for thousands of years. It is considered a su...

This recipe makes a fast and easy homemade pizza crust that you can make from start to finish in 25 minutes. The secret is a little known savory" fruit" called a plantain. Plantains are in the banana family, but when they are green, they are much starchier and not at all sweet. They are rich in vitamins A and C and low in calories ( 90 calories /cup) and low in fat. In their starchy state ( when they are green),plantains are perfect for making gluten free crusts, crackers, flatbreads, etc. Plantains that are still green enough to make pizza crust A few months ago, my friend Laura introduced me to a delicious gluten free flatbread that she had made using plantains. Up until that point, I really didn't know what to do with a plantain. I barely even knew what they were. Today, I made my first gluten free pizza crust using a single green plantain that cost me 50 cents. The pizza crust was so easy to make, it bordered on ridiculous. I just peeled and cut one plantain into...

Sometimes you just need a simple recipe to bring to a family gathering or pot luck dinner. It doesn't get much easier or economical than this delicious Mexican Bean Bake. All you have to do is assemble the ingredients, bake, and bring. It serves at least 8 decent size portions and is very tasty and satisfying. It's a meal in itself and can be served with gluten free chips, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and cut up veggies. I'm on my way to a pot luck dinner right now  at the farm for my CSA. I've never attended one before, but I'm guessing it's a nice way to meet other like minded people who want to eat organic and healthy meals. The weather is beautiful, so we are looking forward to eating outside in the country. Even though the farm is just 20 minutes from our house, my husband says the air just smells better on the farm. I actually posted a similar version of this recipe when I first started blogging, but it didn't get a lot of visibility, so I decided to s...