Chocolate and Zucchini Cake

I have an abundance of zucchini right now.  If you garden, or have neighbors who garden, you may be swimming in it too.  I've been making copious amounts of veggie burgers (my recipe here) for fresh eating and for the freezer.  And lots of zucchini breads.  Yesterday, I felt like something chocolaty.  SouleMama linked to a Chocolate and Zucchini cake recipe that sounded super scrumptious to me.  So I made it.  And I loved it!

What's your favorite thing to do with zucchini?!

Real Food Challenge Update

Technically, the Real Food Challenge is drawing to a close.  There are only a few days left.  Hopefully, though, the spirit of the challenge will be carried with you as you incorporate healthier food choices into your lives. 

Our challenge has gone rather well.  In this month we have moved from prepackaged cracker and granola bar snacks to fruit, nuts, and popcorn snacks.  Breakfasts, which have always consisted of mainly real foods, but heavily (at times) supplemented with prepackaged cereal, have moved toward real foods consistently.  All this moves us one step further on the path of reducing our waste even more than we have already done. 

It's been an otherwise crazy month here.  I know, when is it not?  But this month, there have been so many heavy decisions going on, injuries, visiting family, ...  I'm looking forward to a time where I can breath an easy sigh of relief (and start exercising again).  Don't get me wrong, the changes we are working on right now are very good changes.  Stressful ones, nevertheless.  Eating simple, real foods will greatly help out in the year to come.

There are a few things I would still like to learn how to make from scratch...
Refried beans - a big staple here!  I have the beans and am ready to go.  I just have to get into a rhythm with it.
Crackers - we really like crackers.  I just don't like rolling things out with a rolling pin, so I've been putting this one off.
Granola or cereal bars - for a quick, healthy, on the go snack.  I'm going to have to try these.  They look like just what I'm looking for!

It's sunny and 28 degrees here.  At least it's sunny.  I've been so thankful for the sun lately!

Hope you all have a swell Monday.

Good Friends and Good Food Go Together

Sometimes life can get overwhelming.  It seems like there is a never ending list of things to do (and it gardening season has not even arrived in full swing yet!!!  yikes!).  It's hard to make time for yourself.  But, when you give in and remember that you deserve some time, it can be wonderfully refreshing!

We spent Saturday night making butternut squash ravioli with friends. 

To prepare ahead of time, Nick and Boy made the pasta dough which is just a fairly dry mixture of organic semolina flour and water.  I baked a squash.  Munch made salad dressing and scooped squash out of their shells.  Sweetpea "peeled" onions for me.  I washed lettuce and made an onion, garlic, and sundried tomato olive oil sauce.

After not getting our hand crank ravioli maker to actually make a proper ravioli, we switched to the old fashioned way of making them.

The filling was simply baked butternut squashed, dried parsley, and a wee bit of salt.  We drained this mixture so the filling would be less wet.

Good conversation.  Cute kids.  Lots of laughter.

And the result...

Ravioli!!!

(I didn't get any pictures of the finished dish with the sauce on it.  By the time we were done making them, we were all super hungry!  Things took a little longer than we anticipated...)

'Twas truly a nice evening.

Home-made Veggie Broth

Good veggie broth can be expensive.  And then there is the packaging and distance it has traveled to consider.  There is an easy alternative - make your own!  It's simple to do, and incorporating this into your kitchen life style doesn't take a whole lot of effort.  Here's what I do to keep us stocked in veggie broth all year...

Every time I make anything with stock veggie I (read: patient hubby) picks up all the scraps and puts them into a large bag we keep in the freezer.  When the bag is full (or when 2 bags are full if I have other more pressing things to do), I dump the veggies into my second largest kettle (12 quarts) and fill it to the tippy top with water.  This cooks on the stove until I remember it's there a couple hours later.  If I'm feeling patient and thorough, I will mash up the veggies some and let it simmer for a little while longer.  If I'm too impatient, I skip that step.  When it has cooked long enough to look like vegetable broth, I strain it and put it into pint jars. 

Now, I have a pressure canner (one of the best home canning purchases I've ever made), so I pressure can mine so I can save precious freezer room.  But, if you don't have a pressure canner, you can freeze it in useful sized batches.

These are some of the veggies I regularly save for broth:
carrots
celery
onions
green onion tops
leek greens
tomato pieces
parsley stems

Other veggies that can be good in broth:
peppers (but not too many)
turnips (again, not too many)
garlic
mushrooms stems

You can spice it up with peppercorns and some bay leaves, if you'd like.  Usually, the ratio of veggies in my stock bag is pretty much spot on.  But, sometimes I have to cut up an extra carrot or celery stock to make it more well rounded.

Making your own stock is a great way to use up some of your food scraps before throwing them into the compost heap.  Aside from the energy you use to cook and can, it's a freebie.  Which is always good.

Do you make your own stock?

The Real Food Challenge Kick-off - Breakfast

Happy March first everyone.  Today is the first day of the Real Food Challenge hosted by Not Dabbling In Normal.  Although we've been eating mostly whole organic foods for quite some time now, there are some things I would like to do to eliminate some processed and prepackaged foods from our household. 

It's really mind boggling to think about all the things in our lives that are processed and prepackaged.  It's not hard to spot them when you look in your kitchen.  Although some of them can be healthy alternatives/additions to our diets, some of them are just plain junk.  In addition to avoiding food that comes from countless miles away, you can save precious environmental resources simply by reducing the number of prepackaged foods you purchase.  Especially the individually packaged items like granola bars and fruit leathers.

So, as it stands, my goals are these:
-  to work on eliminating already prepared snack foods, breakfast foods (like boxed cereals), quick comfort foods (boxed mac-n-cheese), and just easy-to-use prepackaged foods (packaged pastas). 
-  to create a growing plan for those veggies for which we still rely on far away sources to obtain.
-  to see if we can source some staples we don't grow from local sources.

As we work towards lifestyle changes, it's important to take small, achievable steps towards our larger goals.  This way, we can feel a sense of accomplishment without feeling overwhelmed.  Small steps are easier to absorb and assimilate into our lifestyles.  They are often the changes that become permanent.  We, as a couple, then as a family, did not get to where we are overnight.  It involved years of reading, thought, decision making, research, discussion, incorporation, ...  We continue to learn and make changes that will lead us to a more sustainable lifestyle.  One that we can feel comfortable with.  One that impacts our fragile planet the least.

So let's start out on a good note.  Breakfast!  The most important meal of the day.  I love breakfast.  And, although in tomato season, I definitely get stuck in the tomato toast rut (happily stuck, that is), I do like a good and varied breakfast.  What options do we have other than the standard breakfast cereal?  Well, I'm glad you asked.  Here are some ideas I like to use for breakfasts (recipes for some to come in the days ahead):

muesli or granola with home made yogurt
breakfast frittatas
peek-a-boo eggs
fruit smoothies (from fresh or local frozen)
tofu potato cakes
home made muffins
home made quick breads
good old-fashioned toast (with home made bread)
eggs poached in our canned tomato puree (super tasty!!)
oatmeal with local syrup and local frozen fruits
hot cereal made from local grains (similar to cream of wheat)
apple crisps or fruit cobblers
breakfast burritos
breakfast strombolis

Some of these things can be made the night before for quicker breakfasts.  Some of them take a bit of prep in the mornings.   Last winter I made a batch of quick cooking oatmeal "packets" for my kids to make on their own.  I used the basic recipe from this site, but eliminated the salt.  I added some extras according to what my kids would like - cinnamon dried apple, raisin nut, coconut...  I store them in used paper bowls with lids from a local restaurant.  In the next couple of days, I will be making these packets again for fast breakfasts and snacks.  Munch can boil water and help her brother and sister prepare the packets.

What do you like to eat for breakfast?!

Seitan Stew

Here's one of my favorite winter time stews.

Seitan Stew 

18 oz. package chicken style seitan with liquid, chopped

4 c. water or veggie broth (including the seitan liquid)

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 leeks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 potato, chopped with skin

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. dried parsley

1 tsp. each dried savory and marjoram and sage

1/2 c. water

3 T. whole wheat flour

1 T. tamari sauce

Put the seitan, 4 cups of water, vegetables, and herbs in a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down and let simmer until the veggies are soft.

Meanwhile, whisk together the 1/2 cup water, flour, and tamari until very smooth.  Stir into the simmering stew until well combined.  Let simmer until the stew is slightly thickened and the veggies are very soft.

A Nice Long Weekend (and another recipe)

I've had a very nice, long, and relaxing weekend.  I got to hang and have a sleepover with 2 of my sisters!!  How fun that was!!  Visited my parents.  Visited the in-laws.  Got some cleaning done.  Watched Star Wars III.  But, mainly, I caught up on my sleep.  So lovely.  It really is amazing how good you can feel when you are well rested.  I highly recommend it.

Course, that was all interrupted by The Squirrel Incident last night.  Some day I may be able to talk about it.  Today is not that day.

On that mysterious note...  Ready for another recipe?  Here's one for greens and beans. 

Greens and Beans 

 

2 – 3 bunches mixed greens (such as kale, collard, chard, spinach), washed and chopped

1 T. olive oil

1 can veggie broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt to taste

2 1/2 c. cooked white beans (about 1 cup raw, soaked and then cooked)

dash cayenne pepper

 

Heat the oil in a very large pot.  Throw in the chopped greens and cook until slightly wilted.  Add the veggie broth, garlic, and some salt.  Cook until the greens are darkening in color.  Stir in the cooked beans and cayenne pepper.  Simmer for about 1 hour or until the greens are very soft.  Adjust the seasonings.

Does anyone have any special recipe requests?  Have a particular type of food you are wanting to use?  

With What I Have

My goal this year is to work with what I have.  I have plenty of yarn, fabric, and food stored up here to last through a long while of inspired projects.  (Yes, I lump my love of cooking with my love of sewing and crochet.  After all, cooking is an art too!)  So, we'll see how far this gets me. 

Today, I'm making black bean chili.  A Big Huge Pot of black bean chili.  I really don't have a recipe for this.  I soaked 3 cups of dried black beans last night.  I'll put them on the stove to cook as soon as I'm done finishing this post.  After a couple hours, I'll toss in some...

diced onions (stored for the winter from our garden)
garlic (also stored for the winter from our garden)
a couple quarts of tomato puree (yep, canned from our garden)
some frozen diced peppers (also from our garden)
about 1/2 cup brown rice (not from anywhere near our garden)
some spices including cumin, chili powder, salt
dried parsley (from our garden)

and I'll let this cook all afternoon until dinner.  To go with it, I'll whip up a batch of corn bread in my cast iron skillet.  I usually use the Betty Crocker recipe for this, using soy milk instead of cow's milk.

I'm fighting through a cold right now.  Not sure how productive I'll be on any other fronts.  If I am up for it, I may work on the rest of my pillows for the living room.  You can see the beginnings of my efforts here and here.  When I don't feel like moving, I'll break out the scarf I'm working on for Nick.  It was supposed to be a Christmas present, but it's just a wee bit late.  I'm nearing the halfway point though!  I'll post about that when it's done.

Hope you all have a lovely day today.  It's snowing big, huge, beautiful flakes here in NE Ohio right now.  It's a perfect day for warm things.  I'm off to start my chili.

Butternut Squash Pasta

I haven't made this for a while, but it is so tasty.  It's a great winter dish since it uses butternut squash, apples, and onions.  All of these items are perfect winter storage items.  Serve it with a salad or some cooked greens.

Butternut Squash Pasta

1 medium butternut squash

Bake the squash in the oven on 375 degrees for about an hour, or however long it takes to get soft on the inside.  Slice it open, scoop out the seeds, and scoop out the flesh.  Mash the flesh with a potato masher.  Set aside.

1 pound short and stubby pasta like rigatoni or rotini or shells...

Boil the pasta.

While the pasta is boiling...

4 medium apples, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 T vegan margarine (such as Earth Balance), or your favorite buttery thing
salt to taste

Saute the apples and onions in the butter until both are soft.  The apples and onions will start juicing to create an unconventional, but lovely, broth.  When they are soft, mix in the cooked and mashed butternut squash.  Heat thoroughly.  Adjust seasoning.  This sauce is supposed to be fairly thick - like a puree, but sometimes if one of your ingredients is too dry (usually your squash), the sauce can be come out extra thick.  If your sauce is a bit on the too thick side, stir in a bit of water.  Mix the sauce into the pasta and serve hot.

You can add fresh parsley to this dish if you have it.  It adds a nice flavor while providing extra color interest.

Hearty Navy Bean Stew

It is the time of year for warming soups and stews.  Eating a bowl of hot soup can really ground you during this season of cold cold temps and snow all over the place.  Although they can be quick - cooking only for about an hour - you can start a soup early in the morning, or just after lunch, and let it slow cook aaaaaaaalllllll day.  It makes the whole house smell yummy.  Just walking by that bubbly stew can instantly warm your soul.

We have been eating soups or stews nearly every night this week.  I really could eat them every day.

Here's a recipe for a bean stew that uses seitan as a protein source in addition to the beans.  Seitan is a wheat gluten protein, so if you are sensitive to wheat or gluten, steer clear!  You can find seitan at any health food stores or major grocery stores.  The kind I prefer to buy is a "chicken-style" seitan.  It's been 18 years since I've had a piece of chicken, so I can't really tell you how it really compares.  My guess is that you can't even think of it as chicken in any manner of ways - even though it's labeled with those words.  Seitan has a very chewy texture.  It usually comes in a vacuum packed container in the refrigerator section, packed in a broth.  It does contain salt, so make sure you adjust the salt that you would add accordingly.

I usually start this soup by soaking a cup of dry beans the night before, draining and rinsing them the next morning, and cooking them.  Once the beans are tender (after about 1 hour), I throw everything else into the pot, and cook it for about an hour.  Sorta changes up the directions, I know.  The recipe below calls for canned beans for quickness.  Use whichever you prefer.

Hearty Navy Bean Stew

2 T. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 sweet potato, chopped with skin

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can vegetable broth

1 15 oz. can white beans with liquid

1 10 oz. package frozen spinach

1 12 oz. package regular seitan, chopped

1 T. dried basil

1 T. dried parsley

2 bay leaves

salt to taste

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and sweet potato over medium-high heat until the onion is soft, about 5 – 10 minutes .  Add the next four ingredients.  Cook until the spinach is thawed.  Add the chopped seitan and spices.  Simmer until all the vegetables are soft, 45 – 60 minutes.

Frittatas

A frittata is a Mexican omelette.  You can get way creative with frittatas!  You can fit it into any season, using seasonal ingredients.  Or, use up things in the fridge that are on the verge of being compost.  Once you make a few, you'll get the idea of how they turn out best.  They are quick and easy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Spinach and Onion Frittata

1 T. canola oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic

1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and well drained

6 eggs

3 T. milk

1/2 c. shredded cheddar, Monterey jack, or Colby cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Heat the oil in a 10 inch cast-iron skillet (my favorite), or an oven-proof pan, over medium heat.  Sauté the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.  Put the spinach in the pan and heat through.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the milk and cheese.

When the spinach is heated, pour the egg mixture into the pan.  Stir slightly to make sure the all the veggies get coated with egg.  Cook for about 2 minutes without stirring.  Put the entire pan into the hot oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Let the frittata cool a bit before cutting.

More Frittata Ideas:

You can’t really go wrong with the veggies in a frittata.  For each frittata you’ll need about 3 cups of veggies, 6 eggs beaten with about 3 tablespoons of milk, and 1/2 cup cheese.  You can add extra cheese if you’d like, or leave it out all together.

-  Spinach and sweet potato

-  Pepper and onion (hot peppers are great too, if you like that sort of thing)

-  Swiss chard, white potatoes, and onion
-  Mushrooms, onions, and garlic

Greens and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta and Other Random Notes

It's the month for recipes.  I've decided (realized is more accurate) that I am not consistent enough do a daily column over on the sidebar.  It's good to know our limitations...

In other news, I have not been doing a whole lot of anything except catching up on laundry, cleaning, dishes, and generally relaxing and enjoying the rush free aspect of the post holiday season.  We took down our decorations.  Homeschooling has begun again.

I have been looking for a history program/books that I am happy with.  And, I finally found them!  I finally feel much more relaxed about teaching history to my children.  Whew!

Here is a quick and healthy pasta recipes.  You could use dried beans instead of canned, but then it's not really a quick recipe.  I usually roast my own peppers and can them when they are in season, so I have them on hand whenever I want to use them.

Greens and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta 

2 T. olive oil

1 lb. mixed greens, chopped (kale, Swiss chard, spinach, and collard work well)

1/2 - 1 c. vegetable broth

1 15 oz. can of great northern beans, with liquid

4 cloves garlic, minced

dash cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 tsp. salt (or to taste)

2 roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped

1 lb. penne pasta (linguini is also good)

Boil the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet on medium heat.  Sauté the greens until soft, adding 1/2 cup of the veggie broth.  Through the cooking, add enough veggie broth so that the greens don’t burn.  When the greens have significantly wilted, after about 15 – 20 minutes, add the beans with liquid, garlic, cayenne pepper, and salt.  Place the cooked, drained pasta into a bowl.  Add the greens and the roasted red peppers.  Adjust the seasonings and serve hot.

Tofu Potato Cakes

Here's a recipe that I love to make and that pleases everyone.  It's a nice, subtle way of introducing tofu to your family.  You can use leftover mashed potatoes, but I never have any, so I have to start from scratch each time.

When tomatoes are in season, I serve these patties with a huge tomato and pepper salad.  In the winter months, I serve it with a big green salad or a shredded carrot and cabbage salad.

Tofu Potato Cakes                                                                                            

4 large potatoes, cubed with skins

1 c. milk (I typically use soy)

1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley

1 lb. firm tofu, grated

bread crumbs, whole wheat flour, or something suitable to coat the patty

Place the potatoes in a medium pot, cover with water, and boil until tender (about 15 minutes).  Drain off the water.  Mash the potatoes with the milk and salt.  Stir in the parsley and tofu. 

Coat a heavy pan with canola oil.  Heat until hot over medium-high heat.  Form a patty using about 1/2 cup of the potato mixture.  Bread the patty and pan fry until both sides are crispy.

Curried Sweet Potato and Greens Stew

Happy new year everyone!!!!  I hope that you are all getting the chance to relax and recoup from all the holiday festivities.  I'm taking today to catch up on some things that have been left undone and bothering me - like finally winterizing the back porch and handling the piles of laundry that are all over my upstairs.

After all the holiday eating (which I managed to avoid this year due to the stomach flu), I thought it would be nice to share a lighter recipe with you.  In addition to warming you up, these spices are good for your digestive system.  Use any type of greens you have on hand.  I've even used a spring lettuce mix when I've been out of greens.  In fact, that's what I'm planning to use for tonight's dinner.  I also don't have any diced tomatoes, so I'll be using our tomato puree instead.  

Serve it with a salad or some sliced fruit for dessert.

Curried Sweet Potato and Greens Stew

1 bunch greens (such as kale, chard, collard, spinach), washed and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large sweet potato, cubed with skin

3 c. water

2 c. canned diced tomatoes with liquid

1 c. veggie broth

1/2 c. lentils, picked over and rinsed

1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. oil

1 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. paprika

salt to taste

 

Throw all the ingredients into a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until all the veggies and lentils are soft.

Some Words on Eating Vegetarian

A friend of mine emailed me the other day asking for some vegetarian recipes.  She and her family will be going meatless for the first 21 days in January.  Being a long-time vegetarian and avid (to put it mildly) cook, I (naturally) said I would oblige.  So, for the first 21 days of January, I will be throwing in some veggie recipes for lots of fun things as well as some meal planning ideas.  I'm thinking of putting a "What's for dinner" column on the sidebar to show our daily dinners.

Vegetarian cooking doesn't have to be difficult or intimidating.  Many things we eat can be easily made vegetarian - soups, pizza, pasta, stir-fry,...

Today, I thought I'd give you a brief description of what is in my pantry/fridge/freezer, with a strong emphasis on what I consider must-haves.  There is a ton of variation on what you can stock a vegetarian pantry with.  Some people have the time and desire to make many things from scratch.  Some people choose to purchase things ready made.  Either approach can work.  They both have their advantages and disadvantages.  Meal preparation should be enjoyable.  And the more you enjoy preparing your meals, the better they will taste!  So, do what you feel you can and would like to do as far as the basics.

I always try to keep in mind: the more whole the food is, the better it is for you.  Choosing the least processed foods will keep your pantry stocked with healthy options.

Please note that these lists are not complete lists of what I stock.  Just highlighting the basics here.

Basic Pantry:
dried beans (I most often use garbanzo, lentils, green split peas, navy, and black beans)
*note:  canned beans can replace dried beans for convenience, but they are more costly)
cans of refried beans (because I don't have the desire to make my own)
tomato sauce (I can my own, but any that you like will be wonderful)
tomato puree (ditto above)
tomato paste (I don't can my own of this...)
veggie broth
oats
flours for breads, muffins, and other yummy treats
cornmeal
quinoa (pronounced keen-wa.  a grain that can be used in place of rice.  more on quinoa later)
rice
popcorn
herbs and spices
packaged pasta
salsa
applesauce
canned pears
olive and canola oils

My Freezer (contains lots of fresh-frozen garden veggies):
brocolli
cauliflower
green beans
corn
sliced peppers
shredded zucchini
whole wheat tortilla shells (oh how we love to use these!)
sliced fruits and berries
homemade veggie burgers


The Fridge:
local organic eggs
local organic cheeses
homemade yogurt
fresh veggies especially including beets, carrots, lettuce, cabbage
tofu
seitan (a wheat gluten protein)
soy and rice milks
earth balance (a vegan butter substitute containing no hydrogenated oils)

I tend to shy away from the soy meat products that are flooding the market today.  They are tasty and fun, and we do partake in them on occasion.  But on the whole, I don't think they are very healthy.  Often, they contain way more salt than one wants to consume.  They are highly processed, and typically contain soy protein isolate - which is when they extract the protein from the soybean.  I am a whole foods advocate in general, and can't help but think that there is something mainly unhealthy about extracting only one part of a whole food.  The jury is still out on whether or not this type of protein is beneficial or harmful.  You can find both arguments out there.  I, for myself and for my family, prefer to eat them only every so often.

I'm sure there is a lot I have forgotten to list.

Muesli

Wow!!!  Two posts in the same day!!  What am I thinking?!?!  Well, I'll tell you what...  Munch is turning 11 tomorrow.  And she's having a sleepover party on Friday night.  Saturday, we are having our families over for dinner.  Both me and my hubby come from large large families (there are 7 kids in my family, and 11 in his), so small family gatherings come out roughly around 40 people.  I'm supposed to be cleaning the house.  And preparing food.  And I am.  Slowly.  But I get bored easily with wiping dust from surfaces that only get cleaned 3 times per year (like the top of the hutch and the TV cabinet...).  I was also thinking of my yogurt, and getting hungry again for lunch.  But yogurt for lunch would really be too much.  Don't ya think?  ...  As I was thinking of yogurt, I was reminded how much I love a good muesli. 

Typically, I prefer muesli to granola.  I like the fact that it has no added oils or sweeteners.  I like the non crunch and the way it softens into the yogurt.  So, today, I think I'll mix up a batch for breakfast tomorrow.

Here's my recipe.  It's so versatile.  You can substitute whatever nuts, seeds, or fruits you prefer.  And you can play with the ratios.  I like my muesli to be about half oats and half (or slightly more than half) other goodies.

Muesli

4 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cup chopped dates
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup wheat germ

Put everything into a gallon glass jar and shake till it's all mixed up.  Simple, tasty, nutritious.  Of course, you can switch up the ingredients how you see fit.  It can be just the way you like it.

Making Yogurt

Sweetpea and I made yogurt for the first time on Monday.  It was not difficult, and we had a good time.  We made the yogurt basically following the directions from SouleMama's how we make yogurt, and by this highly informative site called MakeYourOwnYogurt. 

We started with an organic whole milk from an Ohio dairy that is not homogenized and only minimally pasteurized.  I don't have a double boiler as MakeYourOwnYogurt recommends, so I just used a regular saucepan.  I used a candy thermometer to get the right temp, cooled the milk using a water bath, added some organic plain yogurt I bought from the store (I used 1/4 cup per quart like SouleMama suggests), and put it into jars.  To keep the yogurt warm overnight, I placed it in the oven with the oven light (not the pilot light, mind you, just the light that lights the oven when you open the door).  Actually, we put it right in front of the light bulb so it would soak up as much heat as possible.  That kept the yogurt right around 95 degrees, which is not technically warm enough.  But when I took it out in the morning, it smelled soooooooooooooo yogurt-like and yummy.  I put it in the fridge for a day to firm up.

We ate it this morning - nearly half of the 2 quarts I made!!!!!  It tastes wonderful.  And the texture was perfect.  We'll definitely be adding this to our list of weekly food items.

Dippin'

I thought I'd share a couple of dippin' recipes with you today.  The first is a basic hummus.  I have made so much hummus in my life, that I don't use a recipe anymore.  These are the basic measurements that I eyeball each time I make it.  Hummus is easy.  Don't be afraid to change up the ratios.  You can almost not go wrong...

Hummus

1 cup dried garbanzo beans (chick peas), soaked for 1 whole day, cooked, and cooled (save some of the cooking liquid for adding to the mix, but don't worry if you forget this, you can always add water)

1/4 heaping cup tahini (I vastly prefer raw organic, but the 2 seem so difficult for me to find together, I have been opting for toasted organic, which is stronger in flavor)

the juice of 2 lemons (bottled works as well, but fresh is better)

1 T. olive oil (this is optional.  I don't always use oil, but I definitely do if I'm going to eat it a number of days later)

salt to taste (1 tsp or so should do the trick, but you may need to add more or less depending on your needs/desires)

a good and healthy shake of paprika

Put all these ingredients in a food processor and process it until it's smooth.


Hummus is the perfect dip for all your fresh veggies this time of year.  It's also wonderful slathered on fresh homemade bread.  My kids love it as a hummus wrap.  Just take a whole grain tortilla, spread hummus all over it, sprinkle with shredded carrots, top with lettuce, and roll it up.

As we roll into apple season here, this recipe has come back into my mind.  It's a great one for the winter as well if you can applesauce.

Papple Butter

1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 T. honey

Mix everything together in a bowl.

We enjoy this primarily for dipping graham crackers, but it's great on toast for a quick breakfast.  It also works as a great dip for sliced fruits, especially pears or apples.

Making Tomato Puree

Each year, we can lots and lots of tomato products - salsa, sauce, veggie sauce (tomato sauce with lots and lots of other veggies), and puree (juice really) being the biggest hitters.  I love to make each one of those...  except the puree.  We have and still use the old Victorio Strainer that my husband and his family used growing up.  Being spatially impaired, I can never quite get it together in the proper fashion.  So, we make this process a family affair.

Everyone gets in on the action.  And everyone has a job to do.  Mine is to gather up the tomatoes, wash them, take of the nasty parts, and cut them into manageable pieces.  Nick's job is to set everything up, manage the kids, oversee the Using Of The Machine, tear down, dump juice from the pan to the large kettle, and anything else that I don't feel like doing!!!  (Thank you so much, Nick.)  He really is the driving force at making puree.  I love love love to use it - in tomato soup, making tomato eggs (eggs poached in the juice - so wonderful!), in soups and stews, etc.  But, I have such an aversion to actually making it.

As I was saying...  Everyone has their jobs.  Munch handles getting the puree off of the strainer and into the pan.

Boy turns the crank.  Afterall, he really is the strongest one of us.  ;o)

Sweetpea adds tomatoes to the top, and generally tries to take over everyone's jobs.

We all really have a great time.  Up to a certain point, that is.  So, we try not to make a bigger batch than we have energy for.  But, The Machine only comes out once per year.  So, finding a balance is important.

After all the juice is collected into our largest, 24 quart kettle that I stole from my mother, I cook it down a bit.

And can it in my pressure canner. 

Ready for lots of tomato soup!!!  Mmmmm....

What are your favorite ways to can tomatoes?

Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Swiss Chard, and Cucumbers

This pasta dish could not be any easier on a night you don't feel like cooking!  Not that Friday was that sort of day for me.  I really felt like getting sandwiches for dinner, but all the summer goodness from the garden wouldn't hear of it!  So, I started cooking anyway.  As with many things I make, I had no recipe, not even much of a starting idea when I began cooking.  I just had a vague idea that I wanted pasta with fresh tomatoes.  I boiled a pound of pasta, gathered my tomatoes, and perused my garden veggies for some inspiration.  I noticed some swiss chard impatiently waiting to get used, and half a cucumber sitting there with a dejected look about itself.  That's when dinner happened.

I put the boiled pasta back in the pot, and drizzled it with olive oil.  Then I cut up a ton of tomatoes until it looked like a good amount to me (read: until I got tired of cutting tomatoes).  I used mostly smaller tomatoes that i only had to halve or quarter in as many colors as I could find.  Then I cut up the half cucumber into little cucumber "triangles", sliced the swiss chard into little ribbons, threw that all into the pot, and salted the whole thing to taste.  It sat for just a bit to let the salt juice the tomatoes and chard, and then we ate.  I really liked it sprinkled with nutritional yeast.  I'm sure it would be wonderful with grated romano cheese.  But the best thing about it is that it's great just as it is.

What do you like on your pasta?