Italian Summer Over Broiled Polenta

Salsa gardens are becoming quite popular, but adding just a few more plants (zucchini, basil, oregano) expands your cuisine to cover Italian too!

I really like creamy polenta for breakfast and even more leftover, where I cut it in cubes and fry it in butter.  Some stores sell the corn grit labeled "polenta," since they are virtually the same thing.  Corn meal is a finer grind that will work in a pinch. I have tried soaking to unlock the B vitamins as Nourishing Traditions recommends, first in lime, then whey, but it ruins both the flavor and the texture.  Any suggestions? You can buy tubes of premade polenta in health food stores if you are looking to save a step, but I prefer making it myself.


2 cups corn grits
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pepper, chopped

2 teaspoons sucanat

2 medium summer squash, diced
2 garlic cloves
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 handful purslane (optional)

1/2 cup fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, parsley, basil)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup fresh parmesean, shredded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Heat chicken stock to boil, whisk in grits salt and pepper.  Stir constantly.  When mixture starts to thicken, add milk and continue to stir and cook until very thick and can be heaped on a spoon.  Pour into 9x13 baking dish and let set up in fridge for 20 minutes or up to 3 days.  Cut into 10 equal bars, carefully remove from dish onto a sheet pan and broil each side for 5 minutes or until slightly browned and crispy.

Heat coconut oil in large fry pan, add onions and peppers.  Cook to soften about 5 minutes and push to the outside of the pan.  Sprinkle sucanat in the center of the pan and add squash, tossing to coat in the sugar.  Let caramelize on medium heat, turning once. Add garlic and tomatoes until garlic becomes fragrant and toss in purslane and herbs with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  Plat up by placeing a scoop (about 1/2 cup) vegetables on a piece of broiled polenta, sprinkle with cheese and extra virgin olive oil. 

Another polenta recipe I would like to try;  Polenta Mini Pizzas

links; Real Food Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Cooking Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, Pennywise Platter

Green Chili Beans

Beans are an excellent means in keeping your real food budget down.  They are super nutritious and add bulk to any meal.  There are two key items to note when making beans a regular part of your diet; soaking and fresh dried.

Soaking is imperative to proper bean digestion.  Gut issues are so prevalent that many steer clear of beans entirely.  While soaking will not alleviate all problems associated with an unhealthy gut, it is one piece to the puzzle.  Once you get into the habit to think ahead, it becomes a very simple thing to do.  To learn more about soaking, be sure to register for my class this Wednesday.

 We started using a lot more beans since finding a source for fresh dried beans.  The beans in grocery stores have been stored for a number of years before packaging, then stored some more before making it to the shelf on the grocery store. Fresh dried are from the most recent growing season resulting in a very noticeably superior product.  They cook up so plump and tender every time.

This is one of my favorite bean recipes.  I can the green chili sauce and chicken stock, actually I can beans too, but not enough to keep up with our needs!  The green chili sauce is such a staple, if you don’t can, freeze it in containers and keep it on hand.  It has such great flavor and many yummy applications.  The sauce is pretty easy to make, but making a large batch once and having it stored it really the way to go.

3 cup fresh dried pinto beans, soaked overnight

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 batch green chili enchilada sauce

Strain beans from soaking liquid.  Rinse well.  Add to pot with stock and sauce.  Simmer for 1 hour or pressure cook on high for 20 minutes, natural release.
links; Monday Mania, Hearth and Soul Hop, Menu Plan Monday, Happy Homemaker Monday, Frugal Friday

Millet Tortilla Soup

I just love Mexican flavors, they seem to be made for vegetables.  My husband is not crazy about tomato based soup, though he loves chili, go figure.  This recipe has a mild, but nourishing chicken broth base.  Sometimes I throw in a jar of tomatoes, because I love the things!

Even though the list of ingredients is long, do not be overwhelmed.  This is a really quick soup to throw together and will turn out delicious even if you don't have an ingredient or two.  So just use up what you have laying around.

I always try to make a large pot because it freezes wonderfully.  Unfortunately we always eat more than I expect and there is not much left for freezing either way.  It is great left over and is a great time saver to cook once and just reheat on the stove a few days later.

Relishing the cool weather and the end of soup season.  Though I am NOT looking forward to covering my garden again this week!  Enjoy and stay warm.

1/2 cup millet
4 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small jalapeno
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 green onions, sliced
½ cup cilantro, chopped
2/3 cup frozen corn
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado - sliced
Pepper jack cheese
Tortilla chips

Cook millet in chicken stock (cooking chart). Sautee carrots, peppers and onions in coconut oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin, cook 1 more minute. Mix in millet, green onions, cilantro, corn, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with avocado cheese and chips.

links; Menu Plan Monday, Happy Homemaker Monday, Monday Mania, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy, Tuesday Twister, Hearth and Soul Hop

Homemade Jello

I hate when JELL-O is served as a salad. Those boxes that are full of sugar,artificial colors and flavors are junk food. They do not contain a shred of nutrition that makes them worthy of a before-meal course. I have come up with a lovely real food solution to this madness. It is really only slightly more work and, in my opinion, much more delicious.

You can use a juice from concentrate and you will be better off than the box. I used my vitamix, so in a sense, it was a very fine puree rather than juice. If you have a juicer, this would be another great use. The gelatin doesn’t turn out as clear when you have all the natural fibers in there, but as long as it is smooth, the texture will be so similar. Of course serve with real whipped cream to get the full benefit of all the nutrition in the fruit :)

4 cups of real fruit juice
6 tablespoons water
2 tablespoon gelatin
1/4 cup of honey
1 cup of berries, fresh or frozen (optional)

Place the water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let soften for 5 minutes. Boil two cups of the juice and all the honey, pour into bowl with softened gelatin. Mix thoroughly and then add the remaining juice. Sprinkle berries it bottom of 9x13 or similar size dish. Pour juice into dish, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Cut and serve with whipped cream.

Links; Fightback Friday's,  Whole Food for the Holiday's

Cilantro-Sweet Brown Rice

Sweet brown rice is a very short grain rice that is almost round. Slightly sweet and al dente, this grain is great in salads, breads, pilaf’s, I particularly like it for rice pudding. Any rice would work in this recipe, but this variety is fun for something different. A good seasoned rice is a fantastic addition to most any meal.

I brought this to family dinner last week and my sister-in-law commented on it’s “buttery” flavor. This is what a good chicken stock does, it imparts a nice flavor and texture, not to mention incredible nutrition. If you are paying the premium for high quality meat, you will, no doubt, want to make use of every last part.

2 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups sweet brown rice
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sucanat
2 cups homemade chicken stock
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt (if stock is unsalted)
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, zest and juice

Soak brown rice in water and lemon juice for 8 hours. Sautee onion and pepper in oil for 3 minutes. Add sucanat, stir until melted. Pour in soaked rice, stock, cumin and salt. Simmer for 25 minutes or pressure on high for 8, natural release. Stir in cilantro and lime.

This post is part of Fight Back Friday

Getting Started

When moving to a less-meat heavy diet, I have found the use of grains to be incredibly helpful. It is easy to ease into because it is not an all or nothing thing. Start out by replacing a little meat with a little grain, like ¼ cup or less in a whole recipe. As you and your family begin to adapt to the flavors and textures of grains, you will be able to accept more and more. This can get to the point where meat is no longer needed to make common meat dishes like sloppy joes or shepherd’s pie.

My favorite grains to stretch a pound of ground beef to two to three times its bulk are millet and red quinoa. When I have it cooked up in my fridge, I am more likely to actually use it and it is easy. When you are starting out and using a small amount, just add it into your regular recipes. Next; start cutting back on the meat little by little and replacing it with grains. 1lb of ground beef equals about 2 cups of cooked grains (about ¾ cup dry). If you go too far, just pull back a little next time and find a good place to settle.

For more ideas click on the “vegetarian-ish” link to the right and register for my class;

Vegetarian-ish

Meat’s role as a condiment.

Saturday, April 3 from 10 to 11 am

$10 per person

This post is shared with pennywise platter, and tuesday twister.

Meat Reduction Tips

My vegetarian-ish concept stems from 4 places. 1)Spiritual. Email me if you are interested in my compilation of scripture and prophetic quotes on the divine counsel we have been given to take care of our bodies. 2) Factory farming. Watch Food Inc. to get the big picture on factory farming, then resolve to eat less meat for the betterment of your health and planet. 3)Too much protein. The greatest amount of growth occurs in infants. Human milk, the most perfect food for infants is less than 20% protein. 4) Vegetables. Meals made with lots of meat leave little room on the plate for other important foods.

Meat reduction tips

1. Stretch ground or shredded meat with beans, grains and vegetables
2. Make a meal out of side dishes
3. Use small amounts of flavorful meat
4. Use fish in place of meat
5. Use less meat than the recipe calls for
6. Make more soup and casserole meals and less typical American “separate” meals.
7. Create a meat placeholder
8. Avoid soy substitutes

Do you want to be inspired?  Check out what other classes I am currently offering.

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

Creamy Vegetable-Chicken Soup

THIS is what I mean by slow food.

Onions, carrots, celery, garlic and parsley are all things you can get in season right now.  I can buy them all from local farmers who use organic farming practices.

Nutrient dense, homemade chicken stock simmered with real vegetables and contains real chicken flavors without the chicken.  Nothing beats that delicious, lip smacking gelatin from a true bone broth.

Homemade noodles add such an amazing effect.  Here is a recipe for those so inclined.  If you are not up to making homemade noodles yet, soak some barley the day before and use that instead.  Barley is just as nourishing, but homemade noodles are so lovely.  The third option being brown rice pasta as brown rice is lower in phytates than other whole grains.

For kefir cream, just culture real cream with milk kefir grains and strain for a nice, thick, rich soured cream.  We love cream around here, fresh whipped cream makes anything a treat.  It is hard to find raw cream in my area.  The dairy where I get my raw milk does not have a real cream separator, so it is not pure cream and does not whip up.  I use Trader Joes brand, which is one of the only ones around that doesn’t ultra pasteurized and doesn’t add extra -- stuff.  Read the label, it should just be pure cream.

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups chopped carrots

2 ribs celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups noodles or soaked barley

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup kefir cream (or sour cream)

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Sautee onion, carrots and celery in butter until softened.  Add garlic, salt pepper and stock.  Simmer gently for 20 minutes.  Add noodles and peas, simmer 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir a small amount of stock into kefir cream to loosen up and add cream to soup, add parsley and serve.  Don’t rush through, take your time and enjoy.

For more slow food recipes, check these out:

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Winter Roasted Side

Spinach, Fig and Prosciutto Pizza

Feel-Good Granola

Mayonnaise

this post is part of Real Food Wednesday's, and 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.

Coconut Carrot-Ginger Soup

I’ve been jonesing for some soup for the last few weeks. On Tuesday, when it was 108 degrees outside, I gave in. I turned my thermostat down to 76 and downed a couple bowls of soupilicious. If I had been able to wait just one more day I could have had my first soup of the season on a more appropriate, under 90 degree day. I suppose it was the lack of groceries that pushed me into premature soup making.

Brilliant orange, sweet, creamy and a hint of spice. Eating vegetables is so dang easy! I serve this to my kids in a cup with a straw as a “warm vegetable smoothie.”

Don’t forget to adjust the seasonings at the end. There is no way to give you a good amount of salt to use as it depends on your stock. I add another good teaspoon because my stock is sodium free. Also important to heat the stock to boiling as it freshens it up a bit and kills some of the froth created by your blender. Do in batches if your blender is smaller than 8 cups. Sautéing in the case of onions improves the flavor of them, but the carrots could be easily steamed first to save time.

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
8 large carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
pinch of cayenne (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable/ chicken stock
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 can coconut milk

Sautee onions in coconut oil, add carrots and salt, cook through. Season and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Place vegetables in a blender with stock and ginger, blend well. Return to heat and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in coconut milk. Add more salt to taste. Makes about 8 cups of soup, I can eat half of it in one sitting. Leftovers reheat well.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Vegetarian-ish

That's what I'm calling it. Not extreme like vegitarianism, but similar in principle. I make a conscious effort to generally center meals around whole grains/beans, vegetables and fruit. Good quality fish, eggs and dairy are all nourishing animal products that are often included. While the Lord gave us dominion over animals he also commanded that meat should be used sparingly and who knows how to nourish our bodies better than our own maker?

I took a trip back home to Iowa this month where hamburgers (grain fed beef) and sweet corn (GMO) is the meal of the season. We mixed it up a bit with a pork tenderloin or rotisserie chicken then ate fresh garden vegetables in between, but it sure was a lot of meat! And my body complained. Not good.

I make a conscious effort to avoid meat when possible, I use good quality meat in small amounts once a day or less. I am not fanatic, just conscious. Our society is so reliant on meat as a staple that it has become a disgusting industry all about producing the largest cow in the shortest amount of time. This is the kind of meat that adorns the dinner tables of most Americans and is best to be avoided when ever possible.

Be mindful on your journey not to compensate for lack of meat with more processed foods and soy replacements, this is a step in the wrong direction. TVP, tofu and soybean oil are all much, much worse than a juicy burger even though they are found in the health food section, health food they are not.

Check out my new link to the right to find recipes on my blog that are vegetarian-ish.

Fish Stroganoff

Years ago when we had Dish Network, 30 Minute Meals was my favorite program. My recipe creating skills blossomed during that time. I never even realized how much Ms. Ray had to do with said blossoming until I saw this recipe. My mom had seen her make it on her show and liked how it sounded with all the vegetables and all (I guess it’s hereditary) so we looked it up and made it for dinner.

The recipe is very versatile. Use any veggies you have on hand; green beans, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini carrots, peppers, mushrooms, peas, corn, onions…We have had it with a different combination of veggies each time, but one thing that makes the meal for me is a nice fillet of fish.Wild salmon and smoked tuna or wahoo are divine, but even a can of tuna would be quite lovely.

½ pound brown rice rotini noodles, cooked with ½ cup starchy water reserved

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 bunch broccoli, cut into small chunks

1/2 pound carrots, sliced or julienned

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1/2 cup sour cream

½ pound cooked fish, broken up

2 teaspoons dill

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt and pepper

Sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil, cook 4 minutes. Add the broccoli and carrots and continue cooking for another 1 minute. Push the veggies to the sides of the pan to make a well and drop in the butter to melt. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook for about 1 minute. Add the stock, mustard, reserved pasta-cooking water and sour cream to the pan and whisk to combine and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Add the cooked pasta, fish, dill, parsley and lemon juice to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Who has influenced your cooking skills?

Saag

I know it doesn't look like anything spectacular, probably doesn't even sound remotely interesting to most of you. But if you have had the spinach based Indan curry “saag,” then you know it is worth gathering up a few more spices to create at home. I personally think saag is amazing, the flavors are well balanced, the texture is so creamy and what a nutritional punch! This recipe makes just less than 4 cups of curry. I, myself eat a full cup. That is ½ a pound of spinach!

A lot of foods I can create a recipe by just tasting them, not this one. The first time I had saag I didn't even know there was spinach in it! When I haven't got a clue I turn to allrecipes and recipezaar to get the low down on ingredients and techniques. I like these sites because they have a lot of varations of the same dish. Also, the recipes are rated with stars by people who have tried them along with reviews of how they may have changed the recipe to make it suit them. I take ideas from this one and that one, subsitute some of my healthy oils, sweeteners and whole grains and try it out.

Where do you go for recipes when you haven't got a clue?

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 bay leaves

6 cardamom pods

2 medium onions, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground

1 teaspoon coriander seed, ground

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more for heat)

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 pound meat, cubed (chicken thighs, beef, lamb, venison)

½ cup plain whole milk yogurt

2 pounds fresh spinach, chopped (or frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed)

¼ teaspoon garam masala

Heat oil in a large pot or pressure cooker on medium-high. Place bay leaves, cardamom pods and onions in the pan, fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cloves, cumin, coriander, salt, black and cayenne pepper, stir well. Then add the meat and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly incorporated the yogurt and add spinach handfuls at a time. Stir until spinach is completely wilted. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or pressure on high for 20 minutes, natural release. Remove lid and add the garam masala. Turn the heat to medium. Stir and cook another 5 minutes until most of the water in the spinach disappears and you have a thick, green sauce. Remove the whole spices (you may not be able to find all the cardamom pods which is okay, but at least remove the bay leaves) and serve with brown basmati rice and *garlic naan. To make this dish vegetarian-ish use less meat, paneer, or cubed red potatoes.

*For garlic naan I roll out 3 ounces of pizza dough, real thin. Then cook the dough on a 450 degree skillet and brush it with garlic oil. Not exactly naan but pretty darn good!

Sloppy Joes

Feed a crowd well at your summer get-togethers. Kid friendly food meets adult friendly flavor. Stretching the meat with grains and vegetables not only saves a buck, but makes for a more nutritionally balanced meal. Another good meat extender is beans, add in place of the grains or even the meat. I have subbed one cup carrot purée for a cup of the tomato sauce and also added a grated zucchini and with great results.

Don’t be a slave to a recipe, if something doesn’t suit you, change it up. Most of the time grains, sweeteners, herbs, spices, oils, even liquids like chicken broth and milk are all interchangeable. If you’re scared, just ask, I’ll tell you how it will turn out.

This recipe can easily be made over to be used with food storage...dried onion, garlic powder, canned meat or beans. What a treat in lean times.

1/2 pound ground beef
1 cup cooked millet
1 cup cooked red quinoa
1/4 cup sucanat
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook vegetables. Add garlic, grains, red wine vinegar and worcestershire sauce to meat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook mixture 5-10 minutes longer or until desired consistency.

Brussle Sprouts with Bacon and Figs

The biggest problem with vegetables is not with the species themselves, but the way they are prepared. Usually waterlogged, overcooked with no attention to enhancing flavors. Some vegetables can stand alone, but many need to be gussied up. Pairing summer vegetables with fresh basil, bitter ones with something sweet and low flavor ones with high flavor accompaniments. I love standing over a display of vegetables, hand picking the perfect specimens while discussing recipes with a fellow shopper. I find myself leaving the market a little happier during these experiences.

If there is a vegetable you have not learned to enjoy, keep experimenting with it. I am convinced any vegetable can flatter any taste buds when the right preparation is discovered. For me, it is bacon. I NEVER eat bacon alone, it is not health food by far. But when a half slice of bacon can make the difference between enjoying my brussle sprouts and not, I go for it!

2 slices bacon, diced
2 cups brussle sprouts, trimmed and halved
6 dried figs, sliced
1/4 red onion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese

Fry bacon until crispy and fat is rendered. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel. Blanch brussle sprouts by dunking in boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain and add to pan, cut side down. Add figs, onion and salt. Sautee 5 minutes, or until carmelization occurs. Remove from heat, sprinkle with parmesean.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Green Chili Enchilada Sauce

This one is dedicated to my SIL Jill who frequently asks "do you have any new recipes?" Because of this simple inquiry, I was able to resurrect this lovely recipe from my sent mail. Three cheers for Gmail! I worked hard on this recipe tweaking this and that and the end result was amazing. I made triple batches and canned this stuff so I hadn't made it in a while, recreating would have been a long time coming.

I got inspiration from Cafe Rio's medium enchilada sauce--heavenly. Ask for a sample next time. We had burritos last night, I had one again for lunch today. So yummy! I use the sauce to flavor my brown rice, pinto beans, shredded beef or chicken and then pour some over the top "enchilada style." Really, I can't get enough. Control the level of heat with cayenne pepper and thin it out with water if needed.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon fresh ground cumin seed
2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
cayenne pepper to taste
1 large can (27 ounce) Hatch green chilies, chopped
2 tablespoon white bean flour (or other flour)
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sucanat
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Saute onion in olive oil until soft. Add garlic, and spices, stir until fragrant. Dump in chilies with juices, sprinkle with flour and mix well. Let cook until paste forms and juices evaporate. Stir in stock and sucanat. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. Blend slightly with immersion blender. Take off of heat and stir in vinegar. Salt to taste.

Taco Tuesday

This is a super yummy way to get more grains and beans into your diet. Use ground meat of choice; beef, chicken, turkey, venison or buffalo. And bean of choice; pinto, black, kidney, anasazi (recommended for beginner bean users because of the texture and is more easily broken down ie less gassy) or pink (cooking chart). Grains, beans and vegetables are all so, so easily interchangeable, so if you don't have on hand what the recipe calls for just substitute. I also hid some zucchini (could also do spinach) can you find it?

It is great to have your own spice mixes made up for ease of use. The store bought packets are handy, but are overpriced and contain lots of gross filler...and salt...and sugar. You can use already ground spices and mix them together if you don't have a spice grinder. The flavors are cleaner when you grind your own, so consider it. NOTE: Do NOT put the entire recipe for the spice mix in one batch of taco meat. My sister in law made this mistake and boy, did it have some kicked up flavor. It is intended to make things easier on you so it is all ready to use the next time. Use this mixture in taco's, burritos, on salads, nachos, or cold as a snack like my kids do--weirdos. Great in corn or flour tortillas.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 small bell pepper, diced
1 medium zucchini, grated
3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 tablespoons homemade seasoning*
½ lb. extra lean ground meat
2 cups cooked beans
2/3 cup corn
1 cup cooked red quinoa
1 cup cooked millet
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 teaspoons sucanat
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Salt to taste

Sautee onion and pepper in olive oil. Add zucchini, garlic and spices, cook for 1 minute. Add meat and brown. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer about 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

*Spice mix
½ cup fiesta chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 tablespoon whole coriander
2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon black pepper

Grind all spices except the fiesta chili powder in a spice grinder, mix thoroughly.

Now, looking for a great salsa recipe?

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

Enchilada Casserole

Enchiladas are tedious to roll. I have found the lasagna layer method to be much quicker and tastes the same. Of coarse I stuff as much vegetables as I can into it and love to make it all from scratch including the sauce and the tortillas. I recently did a cooking class for a beginner and simplified this recipe greatly. You can have it in the oven with only 15 minutes of prep time. Still nutritious and tastes great.

2 teaspoons. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 bell pepper, chopped fine
2 teaspoon salt
3 cups spinach, chopped or 3 cups grated zucchini
2 cups cooked brown rice (millet and quinoa work nicely too)
1 lb shredded chicken
1/2 cups corn
1 recipe enchilada sauce
18 corn tortillas
4 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Saute onions and peppers with salt in olive oil, 5 minutes. Cook spinach until wilted. Once softened add rice, chicken and corn to make filling. Pour 3/4 cup sauce to coat bottom of 9x13 pan. Layer 6 tortillas, spread half the filling on the tortillas, sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Layer tortillas, filling, cheese again and finish with a layer of tortillas, pouring sauce over entire dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until cheese is browned in spots.

Enchilada Sauce

3 cups boiling chicken stock
2 tablespoon chili powder
3 cloves smashed garlic
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Let chili powder and garlic steep in hot stock for 10 minutes. Blend in blender. Cook butter and flour in sauce pan on medium heat for 3 minutes, add spices, coca powder and salt. Slowly stir in the chicken stock. Let simmer 5 minutes, then add honey and vinegar. Make a double batch and freeze or can extra.

Simplified

12 ounces canned chicken
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups spinach, chopped (or shredded zucchini)
4 ounces diced green chilies
1/3 cups corn
12 ounces Trader Joe's enchilada sauce
9 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

Saute onions with salt in olive oil, 5 minutes. Add spinach, cook until wilted. Once softened add chilies, chicken and corn to make filling. Pour 1/3 cup sauce to coat bottom of 8x8 pan. Layer 3 tortillas, spread half the filling on the tortillas, sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Layer tortillas, filling, cheese again and finish with a layer of tortillas, pouring sauce over entire dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until cheese is browned in spots.

links; Whole Foods for the Holidays

Harvest Butternut Squash Soup

We are in the heart of soup season. I love getting 3 servings of veggies in one delicious warm-you-up meal. This one is so sweet and creamy, Brik calls it pumpkin pie and prefers it cold, I like to dip focaccia bread in it. This soup also freezes well, so make a double batch for a heat and go meal in the future.

3 pounds butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, cut into large dice
1 pinch sucanat
3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 quart chicken stock
1 dash cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon plus some for garnish
salt
½ cup cream
1 cup freeze dried* apples for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the squash halves cut side down on the dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce the flesh. Cool slightly, then remove the peel. Set aside. Place oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, and sugar, sauté for a few minutes, add garlic. Pour the chicken broth into the pot. Add the potatoes, carrot, apple and bring to a boil. Pressure for 6 minutes on high. Add the squash, use an immersible hand blender to puree the soup, or transfer to a blender or food processor in batches, and puree until smooth. Return to the pot. Season the soup with cayenne pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt, then stir in cream. Heat through, but do not boil. Ladle into bowls, and top with apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

*freeze dried fruits and vegetables are the premium of food storage. They rehydrate quickly and easily, retain most of their nutrients an taste almost as good as their fresh counterparts. They are also great snacks, even for babies. Pick up a can at Preparing Wisely and try them out.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's