Recipe's

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Paglio El Fienio or Pigs In The Straw  Turkey Spaghetti Sauce  Black Bean and Bacon Soup  Ground Turkey Meatloaf  Pork Roast in Mushroom Gravy  Marmitako (Tuna and Potato Casserole)  Vegetable Lasagna  Spinach Quiche  Great Steamed Veggies  Oriental Stir-fry 

Sandwiches and Fillings 
Sweet Potato Vegetable Medley 
Nut Loaf 
Scrumptious Pancakes and Waffles

Here are some recipe's used by our company's chef, Kevin Reilly. These were developed to please "All American" type Natural Ovens employee. We serve our employees a free lunch everyday to keep them healthy, happy, and very productive.  The lunch also helps them slim down and work smarter too. We're sure some of these recipe's will please you too. The recipe's are packed with great taste, yet they're low in fat. We're sure you'll love them!

Paglio El Fienio or Pigs In The Straw
(Ham In Fettuccine With Pesto)

The playfulness of the name(s) of this dish gives you an inkling of the pure joy in the taste combinations. The secret to this dish is a heavily smoked ham. Purchase the smallest smoked ham you can with the bone and rind (the outside of the ham that is dark and dry) intact. Trim the rind, bone, and fat out of the ham and set aside for the stock. Dice 1 pound of the trimmed ham into 1/2 inch size pieces for the dish and set aside. Store the remainder of the ham for another dish, another day. You could use ham bouillon cubes or ham base instead of making your own stock, but the flavor will suffer, and you'll miss out on part of the fun.

1 ham bone, rind trimmings and trimmed fat
1 pound ham, diced 1/2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil (dried if not available)
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or canola oil
1 & 1/2 pounds dry fettuccine noodles

To make ham stock: Place ham bone, rind trimmings and fat into a pot large enough for ham bone to "lay down" in, and with sides high enough that "boil over" does not occur. Add the 4 cups water and place on high heat and bring to boil. Reduce to medium high heat and cook on controlled boil uncovered for one hour. If water boils off to a point where scorching is imminent, then add enough water to cover stock items. At the end of the hour, remove from heat and allow to cool until safe to handle. Remove ham bone from pot with tongs and discard. Using a securely fitting colander and container to catch stock in, carefully strain stock from trimmings. Discard trimmings. Skim fat off of ham stock and discard fat. (I find that if stock is in a container that is taller than it is wide, and by using a soup ladle and gently pushing it down into the stock and letting the fat pour into ladle, I can remove all appreciable fat.)

To make pesto sauce: In a food processor or good quality blender, add ham stock, garlic, basil, and parsley. Begin blending, and with motor running, add oil by drizzling in feed open­ing. Blend until ingredients are consistent throughout mixture. Do not over mix. Add the mixture to a pot (you'll use the one you made your stock in if you want to wash one less dish) with the diced ham, and heat on very low flame until warm.

To make fettuccine: In a large stock pot add 1 & 1/2 gallons water and bring to full boil on high heat. Once water is boiling, add fettuccine noodles slowly stirring as you add. If the water stops boiling, cover until boil returns. Stir often while cooking to avoid pasta from sticking to­gether. Start checking for doneness, al dente, after 5 minutes. Should be done after 6 to 8 minutes of cooking. Drain into a large colander. Transfer to a large serving dish, (or back into the pot you cooked it in if you want one less dish to wash) and add pesto sauce and toss until all noodles are coated and ham is mixed through­out. Serve while still hot. Yields 25 cups. Serves 8, 3 cup portions. Serve as main course with a hot vegetable, bread, and a fresh garden salad.

Turkey Spaghetti Sauce

This is a basic recipe that can be varied in innumerable ways. You can use different vegetables that are in season or on hand, or to suit your own tastes. Even though the meat is a small part of the dish, if the vegetables are chopped in small pieces, between a quarter and a half inch in size, the sauce is perceived as a meat sauce by your family or guests. This sauce has a thick body and works well on medium and larger sized spaghetti and pastas.

1  pound ground turkey
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (dried if not available)
2              tablespoons minced garlic
2—15 ounce cans tomato sauce
1—15 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
6 tablespoons "pure" olive oil or canola oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped celery with greens
1 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (dried if not available)
salt and pepper to taste

The technique I use involves a non-stick frying pan or wok, and a medium size pot with a good fitting lid. Preheat the frying pan, medium high heat, and add one tablespoon of oil to season the pan. Add the ground turkey and start to brown, stirring and breaking the turkey up into as small pieces as possible. Add the basil and garlic about halfway through browning. You do not want to over cook the basil and garlic, so remove the pan from the heat as soon as all pink is gone from the turkey.

Carefully drain fat from the pan if any is present. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes in juice, and browned turkey to the pot and begin simmering on low heat, covered. Return frying pan to medium high heat and add three tablespoons oil. Add onions and green peppers to pan, stirring often, and heat till onions start becoming translucent. Remove pan, add onions and peppers to sauce, stir, cover. Return frying pan to heat, add 2 tablespoons oil, add mushrooms, celery and broccoli. Cook till lightly sauteed. Add parsley, heat briefly, stir. Add contents of frying pan to sauce pot, stir, cover and simmer sauce for 10 minutes. Carefully taste and determine whether any pepper or salt is needed, (the flavor of the garlic, basil and onions are often the only seasoning needed) and add only small amounts at a time. Serve immediately for best taste, texture, and nutrition. Yields 12 & 1/2 cups sauce. Serves 8, 1 & 1/2 cup portions. Serve over spaghetti, pasta, rice, or bread. Freezes well.

Black Bean and Bacon Soup

This is a thick and hearty "stick to your ribs" soup. Black beans or turtle beans are a small kidney shaped bean with a creamy interior used extensively in Latin American and Caribbean cooking.    They have a wonderful flavor and texture that compliments many dishes. You do have to think at least one day in advance to properly prepare beans from the dry form. Canned beans can be wonderful, and I keep several varieties on the shelf, so I can whip up a meal of beans, rice, and salsa for a complete meal on a moments notice, but canned beans are still much like canned vegetables, they put things in you don't want, cook out things you do I want, and don't do justice to the original in taste, texture, or flavor.

2 cups dried black turtle beans (1 & 1/2 Ibs.)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery (include tops)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1 tablespoon ground cumin 3/4 of a pound bacon (the smokier the better)
salt and pepper to taste

To soak dry beans: Spread beans out on a flat surface like a cookie sheet and pick out any stems, pebbles, shrivelled, discolored or foreign beans and discard. Put sorted beans in a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Put beans into a container and cover with plenty of water. The beans will expand and soak up water, so have enough so they don't drink it all up. Let beans soak for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. When ready to cook beans discard soaking water and gently rinse beans off in colander under running water. The soaking water is full of the indigestible sugars that give beans their musical reputation. By discarding this water and rinsing the beans off at this point you will be reducing the beans potential for embarrassment considerably. Let the beans drain off in the colander while putting together the other soup ingredients.

To cook bean soup: Heat a large heavy pot on medium high heat, add the canola oil. Saute onions, celery, and garlic in pot. Add cumin and stir. Add 3 quarts of hot water and the black beans. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat and simmer on low heat, covered, for 2 hours, checking occasionally to stir and see that the beans are not sticking or burning to pot. In a frying pan, brown off the bacon, pat off bacon with paper towel. Dice into 1/4 inch size pieces and add to soup after beans have cooked 2 hours. (The reason you don't want to add the bacon before this is that the salt in the bacon slows down the cooking of the beans and can make their shells hard and tough.)

Simmer another half hour to hour. Check soup for taste and richness of broth. You want to stop simmering after the beans have cooked through and are soft and creamy, but before all of the beans have disintegrated. Salt and pepper to taste after done simmering. Serve while still hot. Yields 21 & 1/2 cups. Serves 8, 2 & 2/3 cup portions. Serve in bowls with bread and a piece of fruit for a nice lunch, or serve in cups for an early course for dinner. This soup is wonderful with a few dashes of cayenne red pepper "hot sauce." I don't add it to the recipe because some people just can't handle the heat, but I make sure there's plenty on the table for those of us who like food to bite back once in awhile.

Ground Turkey Meatloaf

This is one of those amazing dishes where people don't realize how little meat and fat they are actually consuming. Using this recipe a person would have to eat a 12 ounce serving to get two ounces of turkey and one third of an egg. Most people are very satisfied with a six or eight ounce serving of this dish.

1 pound thawed ground turkey
10 slices Natural Ovens Light Wheat Bread
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely diced broccoli stalks (trim ends and peel)
1 cup chopped or diced tomatoes
1 cup finely chopped Dutch mushrooms
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped celery (tops included)
1red bell pepper, seeded, cored, and finely chopped
3 eggs well beaten
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
cup tomato juice
tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 cup barbeque sauce

Preheat oven to 350°. Take all ingredients except canola oil, tomato juice, and parsley, and mix thoroughly in a large container. Mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed and bread cubes are broken up into the mixture. Take the pan you are going to bake the meatloaf in, and oil the bottom and sides with the canola oil. A bread pan or small cake pan will work, something that will hold your 6 pound meatloaf and the fat that will come out of it. Form the meatloaf  into the pan and smooth it out with a spatula "doming" it in the middle to give it a "loaf" like shape. Pour the one cup of the tomato juice over the loaf and place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, remove the pan and pour off the fat if excessive. Pour on barbeque sauce, this time garnishing the top with the parsley. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Pour off the fat again if excessive, and let stand 10 minutes covered before slicing and serving. Yields one 6 pound meatloaf. Serves 8, 12 ounce slices. Serve with steamed vegetables, whole grain bread, and a salad for complete dinner. Leftovers are great for sandwiches.

Pork Roast in Mushroom Gravy

Mushrooms are a wonderful way to stretch meat. They can be added to many dishes as a meat substitute or stretcher. Their rich flavor, texture and even the "gravy" they release all add up to qualities that fool even a die hard carnivore into thinking they've consumed much more protein and fat than they actually have. This recipe can be varied for chicken, by using a whole chicken, boning it and using the bones for the stock.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Bone and trim the fat off the roast, saving for stock. Into an oiled pan, place the boned and trimmed pork. Rub the top of the meat with the 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Then rub the garlic into the meat and sprinkle the black pepper on top. Put the meat in the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Take the bone and trimmings and brown on the stove on medium high heat in a medium size pot until bone and trimmings are nicely browned. Add 4 cups of water and any "stock" items you want, such as celery tops, broccoli stems 1/4 onion and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour. When roast is done, remove from pan and set on wire rack to cool. Any drippings in the pan should be added to the stock pot. When the roast is cool enough to handle, cut and slice the roast thinly into 2 X 3 inch pieces. What you are accomplishing by this, is increasing the surface area and giving the appearance and sensation of more meat to your family or guests. When the stock has finished cooking, strain the stock into another container. Discard the bone, trimmings and stock vegetables. Remove the fat from the stock by slowly pushing a ladle into the liquid and letting the fat on the top flow into the ladle. Put the empty stock pot back on stove and heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil in it on medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute briefly. Add the sliced pork roast to the mushrooms and stir. Add the defatted and strained stock liquid back to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the salt and sage to the stock pot. In a small cup or container add the 3 tablespoons cornstarch to 6 tablespoons cold water and mix so there are no lumps or dry cornstarch. (Add more water if needed.) Add to the stock pot and stir it evenly into the liquid. Simmer until liquid and corn-starch react and thickening of the gravy occurs. Yields 14 cups. Serves 8, 1 & 3/4 cup servings. Serve warm over brown rice, whole wheat bread cubes, or egg noodles.

Marmitako (Tuna and Potato Casserole)

This is a Basque (Spain) recipe that has a wonderful combination of flavors and seasonings that we don't often think of as accompaniments to tuna. With the addition of more liquid, (1 & 1/2 cups white wine and 1 cup water or fish stock) this recipe can become a delicious stew. Any leftovers can be given this treatment, and served over a big slice of hearty bread just like the Basque fishermen do, it is a wonderful next day lunch.

4—6 ounce cans chunk light tuna, drained & rinsed
6 tablespoons canola oil or pure olive oil
cup chopped yellow onion, 1/2 inch or less
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3 bell peppers chopped, 1 each, red, green, & yellow
2—16 ounce cans tomato fillets, drained, save liquid
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 small chili pepper, cleaned of seeds & diced finely
4 pounds medium red potatoes (approx. 12) washed and diced

In a heavy pot, heat the oil on medium high heat and saute the onions, garlic, and bell peppers. When the onions start becoming translucent, add the tomato fillets, paprika, salt, pepper, and the chili. Stir all the ingredients together until well mixed, avoiding scorching. Add the potatoes and continue stirring for 3 to 5 more minutes. Add the liquid from the tomato fillets and 1 cup water. Cover the pot and continue cooking for 15 to 25 minutes. Start checking after 15 minutes for softness (doneness) of potatoes and also to stir and avoid scorching. When potatoes are done, reduce heat to a low flame and stir in tuna and heat only enough to heat tuna through. Remove from flame, cover and allow 10 minutes to set up before serving. Yields 18 & 1/2 cups. Serves 8, 2 & 1/3 cup portions. Serve with dark bread, salad and hot vegetable.

Vegetable Lasagna

This lasagna not only doesn't have any meat, it doesn't have any dairy products either. This dish is a little work, something you might want to do for a special event, but the results are worth it! The secret to this dish is the use of extra soft tofu mixed with basil and garlic to replace the cheese in traditional lasagna. This may make a lasagna purist roll over in the grave, but they probably wouldn't have been in the grave so quick if they had tried this trick. Besides it's delicious. A lot of people get turned off from tofu because the only kind they've tried is extra firm and the texture is too springy for them. If you'll try this recipe you'll see that the taste possibili­ties for using extra soft tofu mixed with spices are only limited by your own imagination.

1 & 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
1 & 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower
1 & 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
1 & 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 & 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped red & green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
5 tablespoons dried basil
30 ounces tomato sauce
20 ounces extra soft tofu, rinsed and drained
10 ounces dried lasagna noodles

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add lasagna, stir, bring back to boil and cook until just tender. Drain, rinse under cold water and leave in cold water until shortly before ready to assemble lasagna. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet on high heat on stove and add onions, broccoli, and cauliflower. Stir and heat until onions begin to turn translucent. Dump contents of pan into large bowl and return pan to heat and repeat for bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini. In a separate bowl, mix the drained tofu, garlic, and basil thoroughly with a whip and set aside. In the bottom of a 13 X 9 baking dish spread a small amount of tomato sauce. Drain noodles and lay out a single layer of lasagna noodles. Gently with a spatula smear a coating of the tofu paste (about 1/3 of the bowl) on top of noodles. Add all the tomato sauce except 1/2 cup to the large bowl of cooked vegetables and stir. Ladle out about 1/2 of the mix gently onto the tofu covered noodles. Repeat with a layer of noodles, paste, vegetables, noodles, paste, the reserved tomato sauce and sprinkle the top with the parsley. Cover with foil and cook 30 minutes. Take the foil off and cook for another 15 minutes uncov­ered. Remove from oven and allow 15 to 20 minutes to set up before attempting to cut or serve. Yields a 22 cup pan of lasagna. Serves 8, 2 & 3/4 cup portions. Serve with a fresh garden salad and bread split, brushed with olive oil and garlic, wrapped in tin foil and put In the oven with lasagna for last 20 minutes of cooking for a wonderful non-buttered garlic bread.

Spinach Quiche

This is a crustless quiche that is snap to prepare. You can substitute other vegetables for the spinach, or add a little ham or bacon to vary the recipe.

3 pounds frozen spinach, thawed
1—16 ounce can tomato fillets drained
1 cup diced onions
6 medium to large eggs
6 slices whole wheat bread, 1/2 inch cubes
4 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 350 °. Place the spinach in a colander and shake off the excess moisture. Put the spinach in a saucepan and heat briefly on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes just to wilt it slightly and warm it through. Put it back in the colander and squeeze and shake off any addi­tional water. Chop coarsely and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium high heat in a saucepan and saute the onions and thyme until the onions are translucent, set aside. In a large bowl whisk eggs, paprika, salt and 1/3 cup water. Stir in spinach, tomato fillets, and on­ions. Use the remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil to oil a 13 X 9 inch baking dish. Spread bread cubes evenly throughout the bottom of dish. Pour the spinach egg mixture over the bread cubes using a spatula if necessary to make it even. Bake until set in middle and turning golden, about 25 minutes. Let set 10 minutes before cutting or serving. Yields a 20 cup pan of quiche. Serves 8, 2 & 1/2 cup portions. Serve for a special brunch or luncheon with pan fried potatoes (non-stick pan, small amount of canola or olive oil, and fresh black pepper) and a fresh fruit salad of what is in season.

Great Steamed Veggies

8 Slices Sunny Millet Bread
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 or 2 carrots, chopped
1 cup summer squash & zucchini
1 cup tofu, cubed
1 cup mushrooms, cut
1 handful bean sprouts
1 cup broccoli, cut
2 T. tamari sauce

Saute the onion, celery and carrots in a wok or large pan. Add all remaining vegetables except broccoli and sprouts. Cover wok or pan and steam vegetables for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add broccoli and sprouts and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. All the vegetables should remain crisp. Serve over natural Ovens Sunny Millet bread. Serves 4.

Oriental Stir-fry

1 T. canola oil
1 stalk bok choy, chopped
1 lb. fresh bean sprouts
1/2 lb. fresh pea pods
1 can water chestnuts
salt and pepper
1 cup shrimp, cooked
Optional: mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and celery.

Heat oil in large kettle or wok. Add bok choy and stir for a minute or two. Add remaining ingredients. Stir constantly over high heat until mixture is piping hot and vegetables are crisply tender. Serve immediately over rice or Chinese noodles. Garnish with slivered almonds, Serves 4.

Sandwiches and Fillings

Date Filling: Grind 1 cup dates and 41 tablespoons nuts using fine knife or food chopper. Add enough orange juice to make the mixture of spreading consistency. A little lemon juice added will take away the too-sweet taste.

Almond butter and vegetables: Combine grated or ground raw carrots, celery or onions with nut butter. Season to taste.

Tuna: Remove excess oil from tuna fish. Or better, buy tuna packed in water and drain. Flake fish and mix with 1/4 cup each of chopped celery and nuts, and moisten with lemon salad dressing.               

Raw Vegetables: Grind 1 /4 cup raisins and 1/2 cup each shredded cabbage, carrots and apples. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and season to taste. Moisten with desired dressing.

Vegetables: Thin slices of Bermuda onion, tomato and avocado with sprouts and/or leaf lettuce. Spread thinly on the toast — coleslaw  dressing and mild to medium salsa. Serve with a pickle and low salt chips. Great for a quick lunch or supper.

Chicken: To 1 cup chopped chicken, add desired amount of celery, cucumber, olives and radishes chopped fine. Season to taste and moisten with mayonnaise.

Sweet Potato Vegetable Medley

4 sweet potatoes
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups fresh green beans
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup water chestnuts pepper to taste

Steam potatoes 35-45 minutes or until just barely tender. Drain, cool, peel and slice. Place 1/2 cup of broth in a large skillet; ass beans and onions. Cover and steam about 8 minutes or until beans are tender. Add remaining broth. Fold in mushrooms, sweet potatoes and chestnuts. Heat over medium heat until vegetables are hot. Season with pepper.

Nut Loaf

1/2 cup Brazil nuts
1 cup almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flax seed, ground
2 small onions, diced
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 t. sage
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. sweet basil
1/2 cup almonds, ground
2 cups water
2 T arrowroot powder
2T. oil
1/2 t. salt

Grind all nuts in blender. Mix flax seed with water until it reaches the consistency of an egg. Combine onions, parsley, sage; thyme, salt and basil. Place mixture in a well oiled loaf pan. Bake at 350° F for 25 minutes. Serve hot. Mix last 5 ingredients and stir over medium heat until thick. Pour over cooked loaf.

Scrumptious Pancakes and Waffles

1 cup Barbara Stitt's Pancake & Waffle mix
1 cup water
1 egg (optional)

Waffles: Combine above ingredients until smooth. Allow to sit 5 minutes or so. Spray the hot waffle iron with PAM or olive mist. Spoon batter into the waffle iron and bake until steaming stops. Remove carefully.

Pancakes: Oil a hot griddle with a spray of PAM or a few drops of olive oil. When water dances on the surface, spoon batter onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until edges are dry. Turn and cook until golden brown.

Serve both with real maple syrup, sliced bananas, strawberries, blueberries or peaches.

Makes 4 Belgian waffles or 8 dollar pancakes.