Herbed Smoked Salmon Yogurt Cheese Spread

Have you made yogurt cheese?  It is a great way to make your yogurt thicker to any degree.  Just pour into a fine cheese cloth, tie the ends, let it hang and drip into a bowl (I use a wide vase)  A short drip of 2-4 hours will just give you a creamier yogurt like a Greek yogurt.  4-6 hours yields a great sour cream replacement that makes great veggie dips.  To make a cream cheese consistency, you will need to drip for 6 hours, open cloth, scrape, stir and turn contents to loosen, then drip 4 more hours. For this recipe I used a cheese somewhere between sour cream and cream cheese.

4 ounces smoked salmon

1 small shallot, finely minced

¼ cup fresh herbs, minced

4 ounces yogurt cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to let flavors meld.  Spread on a fresh English muffin.
links; Hearth and Soul Hop, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Monday Mania, Happy Homemaker Monday, Menu Plan Monday

Baked Zucchini

One of the most prolific plants in the garden and hardy as all get out, summer squash is worth every inch it takes over. During peak season there is always excess, so if you don’t grow it, find someone who does and they would be happy to unload some. I have grey, yellow straight and black beauty going and I use them all the same. It is fun to mix them all together and get different shades of color.

What do you do with all these mild vegetables to keep things mixed up? There is the obvious zucchini bread that more often than not is not as healthy as it sounds. You can certainly make it better by making some simple substitutions. Another great option is to grate it up and add it to stir fries and casseroles. I love it in my taco meat, enchiladas and sloppy joes this way. Grate it up and freeze in recipe sized bags to use it year round. If you have squash that are over grown, just scoop out the seeds and fill the cavity with pasta sauce, cheese and bread crumbs, then bake for a great side dish.

This recipe makes a fun side dish that has wide appeal. I avoid using the store bought cooking sprays in the cans as they use cheap oils and added junk that I don’t want. Nor Pro makes a “Mr. Mister” that I use for my oil spraying needs. The oil aids in browning in this recipe which give a better appearance, texture and flavor. I make my own bread crumbs from bread failures (bricks) and keep them in the freezer so they are ready to use.

2 med. summer squash, thickly sliced (7mm on mandolin)
1 egg beaten until frothy
1/3 cup sprouted flour
1/3 cup finely grated piave or parmesan
1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Combine flour, cheese, bread crumbs and seasonings. Coat each zucchini round in beaten egg, then in flour mixture, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with oil. Once laid out, spray the tops of each round with oil and bake for 18 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve with marinara or ranch dressing.

This post is shared on Whole Foods for the Holidays, GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister and Real Food Wednesday.

Creamy Italian Dressing

Salad dressings are something I am passionate about.  To me, it stands as the gateway in the big picture of a food change.  You must know; even the healthiest of store bought bottles are incredibly unhealthy.  Greens should be eaten regularly, and served with ample fat to utilize the fat-soluble vitamins.  So, say buh bye to fat free dressings and makeover your fridge with jars of homemade. 

Last week in class we focused on dark leafy greens.  These winter greens are no longer common place on our tables.  It takes time to learn to enjoy something we have been estranged from for so long, but we made some good headway.  I didn’t take a poll or anything.  I just gather from the comments that the Creamy Italian was the class’s favorite dressing and tat soi was the class’s favorite winter green. 

Tat Soi is a true winter green as it can withstand temperatures as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit and has been harvested from under snow.  Tat soi is often found in Asian cuisine and is a member of the brassica family.  It has a very faint mustard-like flavor and slightly sweet.  With a spoon-like shape, the leaves appear remarkably delicate and are delicious in a raw salad. If you want to give tat soi a try (and live in the Mesa area) shoot me an email and I will get you the latest order form from The Backyard Farmer.

I will be putting out a new schedule soon…8 weeks this time, a couple new classes and they will be held on Saturday mornings.

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon shallot

1 garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/3 cup homemade mayo

Blend in all ingredients in blender.

Great on romaine, leaf lettuce and water cress.

Creamy Italian salad toppings; cucumber, red onion, tomato, pine nuts, parmesan cheese.


I am sharing this post on Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday

Coconut Curry Soup

Last summer I moved from eating any old meat in moderation to eating mostly wild game and pastured meat only sparingly.  Without knowing, that is when I wrote my Vegetarian-ish Teaser.  Flavors abound in fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, while grains and beans add bulk to meals and give us sustained energy.  Through these past 6 months I have made lots of changes that all happened little by little.  It takes some creativity and a good resolve, but eating meat sparingly is O so doable.

Traditional American fare has become a plate of separates; large portion of meat with a starch and sometimes a small amount of vegetables.  When I eat American now, I just reverse the sequence with a large portion of veggies with a starch and sometimes a small amount of meat.  Simple.  It took my husband a little bit to accept this approach, his plate doesn’t always have the same proportions, but he is learning that a meal does not have to be centered around a large portion of meat to be satisfying.

This concept is a whole lot easier when we make more casseroles and soups because using less meat is not quite as noticeable.  This soup is meatless, though could very well have meat added for beginners.  The use of real chicken stock gives great flavor and lots of nutrition

Lemon grass is one of my favorite herbs.  It is hard to find so I am trying to grow my own.  Look at Asian Food Markets, the dried pieces from the grocery store is not the same.  I have also used 2 drops of lemon grass essential oil in a tablespoon of coconut milk added at the end of cooking with good results. 

I got the idea for this soup from Wildflower Bread Company.  Sadly, it is not on their regular weekly rotation.  With so much flavor,  a nice creamy smooth texture and small, soft bits for added interest, who could miss the meat? 

One 14-ounce can coconut milk

2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer portion removed tender portion only, chopped very fine

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 teaspoons lime zest

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 onion, finely minced

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 quart chicken stock

16 ounces tomato sauce

2 teaspoons salt

3 carrots, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

3 roma tomatoes, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste or cayenne to taste

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

In a large pot, combine coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger and lime zest, simmer for 10 minutes.  In a separate pan, sauté onions in coconut oil until soft.  Add garlic, then remove from heat.  Puree onions and garlic with curry powder, chicken stock and tomato sauce.  Add blended mixture, salt, carrots, celery, tomatoes and red pepper to simmering coconut milk, stir to combine.  Simmer until vegetables are tender, 8 minutes or pressure on high for one minute.  Stir in curry paste, lime juice, cilantro and serve.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Spinach, Fig and Prosciutto Pizza

A pizza for the winter season. I have loved getting feed back on my pizza creations, as unusual as they are. This one was inspired by the local restaurant Le Grande Orange. It is so perfect for this time of year; the lemons are just starting to ripen and the spinach will soon be flourishing (that is if I can keep the rabbits off of it). I have never tried it with fresh figs, but would imagine that would be good too. Prosciutto is a dry cured ham, it is super flavorful, a little goes a long way. I have found the best place to get it is Trader Joe’s.

Pizza is just the thing to mix up those thanksgiving-dinner leftovers. Spread the dough with cranberry sauce or gravy, add turkey, maybe a little dressing or potatoes and top with cheese! Mmmm. It’s really good, trust me. So there you go, a two for one on this thanksgiving eve day.

Per Medium Pizza:
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup fresh spinach
4 dried figs, sliced
1 slice prosciutto, thinly sliced and cooked
1/2 fresh lemon

Preheat oven and pizza stone to highest setting (mine is 550) Roll out the dough and place on parchment paper. Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese evenly on dough. Lay spinach leaves as flat as possible on cheese. Layer figs on spinach, sprinkle with cooked prociutto and remaining cheese. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until crust is brown. While still hot, grate lemon zest on top of cheese and sprinkle lemon juice over entire pizza.

This post is part of  Whole Foods for the Holidays, Real Food Wednesdays.

Black Bean Salad

Beans are so healthy, they have it all; the fiber, the protein, lots of vitamins, minerals and protective phyto-chemicals. I have been learning about the benefits of soaking grains and beans in a slightly acid solution. The purpose is to neutralize the phytic acid which blocks absorption of some of the minerals. Just a tablespoon of kefir, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar per cup of beans in the the soaking liquid for 12-24 hours does the trick. Of coarse they cook up faster this way too.

Black beans are so versatile as they are fairly small and become soft while holding their shape. The texture blends well with lots, try them in sloppy joes, shepard's pie, tacos or enchiladas. I added quinoa to my salad, another power house, which is totally optional. It should be soaked and cooked separately. I cooked it for 2 minutes in my pressure cooker. I bet avocado would be good in this too. I love the light dressing, it brightens the flavor of the salad/salsa.

1 pressed garlic clove
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups black beans (cooked)
1 cup corn (I like the roasted corn from Trader Joe's the best)
½ cup cooked red quinoa
¼ cup red bell pepper, finely diced
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Whisk together garlic, vinegar, oil, honey and spices to form a dressing. Combine all other ingredients, pour dressing over and toss. Serve as a side dish alone, with chips or in tacos.

This post is part of Kitchen Stewardship's October Fest Carnival of Super Foods, Whole Foods for the Holidays

Sorta Fresh Salsa

We had a sweet, family friend cater our recent family reunion, it was really quite a treat. I spent some time in the kitchen chatting over her recipes. She did a delicious roasted onion and feta breadstick and scrumptious strawberry cheesecake pancakes, but I was really wowed by her salsa. She brought it already prepared, we had it for dinner on day two, yet it tasted so fresh.

My fresh salsas always turn to a watery, mushy mess the day after, and canned salsa just isn’t the same. So I got the secret for making your fresh salsa keep better; canned petite diced tomatoes. So it is not quite the same as fresh, but when tomatoes are not in season, you are feeding a crowd or need to save time, this is a great option over Pace. I seem to never be able to make a recipe just as it is given to me, so this has been altered to fit my taste. Muir Glen just came out with petite diced tomatoes that are delicious, now if they could just get the BPA out of their cans!

28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
¼ yellow onion, chopped
5 green onions, sliced
1 cup cilantro, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon oregano

Combine all ingredients and let flavors marry for 1 hour before serving. Great with chips or tacos.

Hand-rolled Meatballs

Store bought meatballs are easy and tasty, but have you looked at the ingredients? Yuck. So many additives and tons of fat. Most homemade meatballs are dense, greasy and tasteless because they are thrown together with ground chuck and a little seasoned salt. These meatballs are tender, flavorful and quite healthy. Be sure to grate the onion, even mincing finely upsets the texture.

Kids love to get their hands in the food, this is a great chance for them to "help" in the kitchen. Let them squish the meat and form the balls. Great with spaghetti (I prefer Gia Russa Whole Wheat Linguni from Sprouts) and on sandwiches. I love a good homemade marinara, but for quick prep check out Trader Joe's Tuscano Marinara, it's good stuff. You can freeze these after baking on a cookie sheet, once frozen place in a large Ziploc. They thaw quickly and reheat well.

What do your kids like to "help" with in the kitchen?

1 small onion, grated

1 large egg
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 ounces lean ground beef, bison or venison
1 cup cooked steel cut oats
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Whisk the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Mix in the beef, oats and bread crumbs. Using about 2 tablespoons of meat for each, shape the meat mixture into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
links; WFMW, Whole Foods for the Holidays

Red Pepper Hummus

Hummus is a great dip and spread. It is made of healthy ingredients, not the common sour cream, processed cheeses, sugars and mayonnaise that make up most veggie dips and cracker spreads. Costco has a delicious hummus, but even though it advertises “all natural” on the front of it’s label, it is loaded with preservatives. Iwill use it when time for food preparation is low, but the rest of the time we enjoy this from scratch version. I love to play around with the flavors. Use fresh garlic (not the old stuff that is starting to sprout, which is bitter) the more the garlic is roasted the more mellow the flavor. Raw garlic will give the hummus a really sharp flavor. If you like a sweeter spread, add a bit of honey. If you like more sesame seed flavor, add a teaspoon of dark sesame oil. Some people like more lemon juice or even some zest and some prefer garlic powder to fresh garlic. For a plain hummus, leave out the peppers or get creative and add things like jalapeno, cilantro, pine nuts, olives, sundried tomatoes, basil or just extra garlic.

15 ounce can garbanzo beans
½ cup tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
2 cloves garlic, toasted or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
14 ounce jar roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients in vita mix or food processor and puree until smooth. Refrigerate to thicken. Serve sprinkled with olive oil and paprika. Serve with vegetables, pita chips, crackers or pita bread.

This post is part of Kitchen Stewardship's October Fest Carnival of Super Foods.

Whole Wheat Pita Pockets

Like tortillas, homemade pita’s are significantly superior to store bought. So tender and light, even whole wheat. Freshness is the key, for breads such as these decrease in quality quickly. The real treat is when they are still warm from the pan. I used to make these in the oven, but found that was unnecessary, a hot pan works even better. The trick is not to roll them too thin, which causes the steam to release and not form the air bubble that leaves a pocket.

2 cups hot water

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon salt
5 cups sprouted  flour
2 tablespoons yeast

In bosch bowl with dough hook place water, sugar, salt, and 3 cups flour with the yeast on top of the flour. Mix on low and slowly add remaining flour just until the dough pulls together and cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead 8 minutes. Divide dough into 4 ounce portions. Roll out to almost 1/2 inch thickness. Let rise for 15 minutes. Cook on a preheated cast iron skillet or other heavy bottom pan that retains heat on medium high. Flip every 30 seconds until both sides are brown, bread should puff up like a balloon while cooking. Cut each round in half, fill pocket with filling of choice like falafel or dip in hummus, baba ganouj or your favorite spinach and artichoke dip.
links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Guacamole

I love this stuff, restaurants never give you enough and put so many fillers in it that it tastes mostly like salsa. On a salad, taco or served with chips, I wanna lot of guac! Choosing an avocado is hit and miss sometimes. You can never tell if the center is going to be black or grossly stringy. Unless they are on sale for very cheap (check Fresh and Easy and Superstition Ranch Markets) I just splurge at Costco because if they are yucky, I just put the cut open fruits in a Ziploc and return them for a full refund, no problem.

One thing I wanted to share through posting this recipe is that you don’t always have to go all out all the time, reserve the right to simplify. Sometimes time is of the essence, you need to get a meal out fast or only have a short window to dedicate to meal preparation. Maybe you are short on ingredients, most recipes suffer very little when you leave something out or don’t have as much as is called for. Simple substitutions are allowed too. This time of year I use lemon juice for lime juice, they are so abundant and free that it is not worth keeping limes on hand for their particular pucker. Same goes for fresh herbs, if I have them on hand I find ways to incorporate them, but when they are out of season I use dried or leave them out completely. Most of my recipes have grains in them and can be easily switched out for other grains or left out completely : ( I also try to cram as many vegetables as I can into my casseroles, so if you have to leave a few out, the dish will not be a flop. But do make sure you have an avacado...

Simple
2 medium avocadoes
1 small clove garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lime juice

Dressed up
2 medium avocadoes
1 small clove garlic
½`teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1 tomato, chopped
¼ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Mash and enjoy.
links; Tasty Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Tempt My Tummy, Kitchen Tip Tuesday

Kale Salad

Kale is one of those super foods that have immense health benefits (see chart for it’s impressive specs). The problem is that most people don’t know how to prepare it…at least not well. This recipe was inspired by True Food’s Kitchen’s kale salad that really impressed our table of food savvy women. The dressing is light and refreshing. Be sure to start with perky leaves that are not browned or wilted to ensure a crisp, fresh tasting end product.

1 bunch kale (about 8 leaves)
Zest of one lemon
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup agave
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Tip: place cut leaves in a pasta

steamer so that you can dunk the

kale and get it out quickly and easily.

Cut tough stems from the center of each leaf of kale. Cut leaves in strips. Blanch leaves by dunking in boiling water. 5 seconds, just enough time to push all the strips under water. This will really bring out the color, while softening the texture. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk thoroughly. Spin the kale dry and toss kale with dressing. Serve immediately after dressing.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Muliti Grain Crust and Pear Walnut Pizza

Pizza night is a treat night in our house. It's the one night that vegetables are optional as long as lunch vegetables have been consumed. What is ironic is that the kid's favorite topping is spinach. Though I can't fit 2 whole servings on one little pizza, I feel warm and fuzzy that at our worst we are better than most.

I am a variety girl, so our pizza toppings are constantly evolving. Pear Walnut is one of my long time favorites, adapted from my sister in law, Reachel's remake of a California Pizza Kitchen selection. This crust is the perfect balance of sweet, chewy, crispness. Letting the dough rise after mixing is optional. I usually use the time to prepare my toppings and preheat the oven. A pizza stone is a must, it draws moisture out so you can avoid the inevitable infliction; soggy bottoms.

Also check out my Sourdough Spelt Pizza

Multi Grain Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cup water
1 cupsour dough starter
2 cup spelt flour
1 cup amaranth flour

1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon Real salt
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon yeast
2 cup white flour

Combine water, sourdough starter and whole grain flours. Mix and let sponge (rest) covered at least 12, but no more than 24 hours at room temperature (can sponge longer in fridge). After the soaking period, Place all ingredients except white flour in mixing bowl, yeast on top. Turn on mixer. Add white flour until dough pulls away from sides and center post. Knead 8 minutes. Preheat oven to 550 degrees (convection is best) Let dough rest 30 minutes in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap (optional). Divide dough in fourths, roll out on a floured surface, transfer to parchment paper. Top and bake on a preheated pizza stone for 6 minutes or until crust is crisp. Let cool 5 minutes for cheese to set before cutting.

Pear Walnut Topping
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 firm pears, sliced
½ red onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoon sucanat
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup walnuts
3 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup feta cheese

Saute pears on medium high heat in a large pan until browned, add onions, sucanat and sugar, cook. Turn off heat and mix in walnuts. Let cool slightly before arranging on dough, top with cheeses.

Links; Whole Foods for the Holidays