Pesto

Another recipe from the blog, Ultimate Daniel Fast.

2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups packed fresh spinach or 2 cups frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
¼ cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions
Place ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Makes ¾ cup.

Jill

Spaghetti Squash with Pesto

Recipe from Rachel Wheeler

Spaghetti Squash Pesto with Tomatoes

1 small spaghetti squash
15 large basil leaves
1 small clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano (omit in Daniel Fast)
salt and fresh pepper
1 tomato, diced

Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and fibers. Place in a microwave safe dish and cover. Microwave 8-9 minutes. Remove from the microwave and scoop out flesh with a fork into a large bowl.

In a small blender combine basil, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt a pepper and puree until smooth.

Combine pesto with two cups spaghetti squash (save any remaining squash for another recipe). Add tomatoes and season with additional salt and pepper.

Jill

Black Bean Stir Fry

Recipe from The Ultimate Daniel Fast blog.

TB extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 (14 1/2) oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup canned corn, drained
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1 clove garlic
2 TB lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 oz cubed Marinated Tofu, optional
Garnishes: Diced avocado, diced green onions

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook onions until slightly blackened and crispy. Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, peppers, garlic, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Top with diced avocado and green onions. To add a little more protein to this dish, mix in cubed Marinated Tofu. Serve with Tortilla Chips.

Jill

Tortilla chips

Recipe from the Ultimate Daniel Fast blog. It has been a great resource!

Ingredients:
1 cup corn meal
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions
Combine corn meal, water, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir mixture until dough forms a ball and stays together. Add a little water if necessary, a tablespoon or two at a time. Let dough rest for at least 20 minutes (the longer, the better).

Preheat oven to 400 F. Using your hands, press dough out onto an ungreased baking sheet, making it as thin as possible. Use a knife to score chips into desired shape. Bake 20 minutes, or until slightly browned and crispy. Makes about 45 chips (1" square).

Jill

Rice Cake Sandwich

This is a staple lunch for me on the Daniel Fast!!!

Ingredients:
Rice cakes
natural peanut butter (no sugar added)
banana slices

Build your sandwich and enjoy!!! yum!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Recipe from Rachel Wheeler

Ingredients:
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 3 large carrots, grated (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups grated reduced-fat pepper Jack cheese, divided (omit for Daniel Fast)
• 4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed


Directions: 
• Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
• Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.
• Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving. 

Jill

Snickers Popcorn

I made this yummy popcorn for Halloween! The kids really liked it! How could you not like caramel popcorn with snickers!!! I found this recipe on pinterest. The original source is from Cookies and Cups.

Ingredients:
8 quarts air popped popcorn (about 2 cups kernels, i used about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup salted butter
2 cups light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup salted peanuts (i omitted because i didn't have any, but will add next time)
30 fun size snickers bars, chopped
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate (optional, i did not add)

Directions:
While popcorn is popping combine butter, brown sugar, salt, and corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add baking soda. Pour over popcorn, stir, and then sprinkle with peanuts. Bake in a large roasting pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 200 degrees. Stir every minutes. Add snicker bars for the last few minutes of baking. Allow to cool on wax paper. Drizzle with melted chocolate if you so desire. I did not, but more chocolate could never hurt!

Jill