Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
http://foodandspice.blogspot.com/
Chickpeas with Mango Powder (Amchoor Chana)
660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer is proving to be one of the wisest cookbook investments I have made lately. There is an abundance of easy, but deliciously satisfying curry recipes that are ideal for days when you want proper nourishment without the fuss. The extensive chapter on legume curries is one that I continue to explore, as most of my meals are centered around beans and legumes.
Amchoor powder is readily available at Indian grocery stores. It is made from unripe green mangoes that are dried and turned into a powder. It adds a tangy, slightly sour flavour to Indian dishes. If you do not have mango powder on hand, you can substitute the juice from one lime.
I’m sending this along to Suganya who is hosting Vegan Ventures, Round 2.
Chickpeas with Mango Powder (Amchoor Chana)
1 1/4 cups of dried chickpeas (yields roughly 3 cups cooked)
2 tablespoons of oil, or a mixture of butter and oil
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
2 - 3 black cardamom pods, crushed
1 long cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
2 tablespoons of mango (amchoor) powder
1 tablespoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
2 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
generous handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup of chopped red onion (I used shallots), finely chopped
Soak the chickpeas in enough water to cover overnight. Drain, transfer to a large saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the chickpeas are soft: one - two hours depending on how old your beans are. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, drain and set the beans aside.
Heat the oil over medium heat in the same pot you cooked the beans in. When hot, add the cumin seeds, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks. Stir and fry for roughly 1 minute. Now add the ground spices, stir and pour in the tomatoes, and add the salt. Cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the tomatoes begin to thicken up (roughly 5 - 10 minutes.
Now add the chickpeas, the reserved cooking liquid and half of the chopped parsley or cilantro. Cover the pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened (roughly 20 minutes).
Serve, garnished with some of the remaining parsley and cilantro and some of the chopped onions (or shallots).
Serves 4.
Posted on Monday, November 10, 2008 6 comments
SERVE IT UP! Beans and Legumes, Chickpeas, Indian
Cassoulet with Bread Topping
An old legend about cassoulet relates that the popular French bean casserole was invented in the southern French town of Castelnaudary during an English siege in the Hundred Years War. Unable to venture outside the town walls to collect fresh vegetables, the townspeople invented a rich and hearty repast with their preserved stock of dried beans and herbs, cold storage vegetables, and pork sausages and duck fat. A more contemporary legend has it that we vegetarians can dispense with the copious meats that are added to traditional cassoulets and still enjoy a robust, filling and delicious meal that’s perfect for cool fall weather.
This recipe, adapted from Delicious Living, includes a mock version of herbes de provence, a mixture of dried herbs and lavender flowers, for those of us who don’t usually have it on hand. If you do have it, however, just substitute a tablespoon of herbes de provence for the herb blend given below.
Cassoulet with bread topping
Herb blend:
3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon dried savory
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon dried sage
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
Cassoulet:
1 1/4 cups dried cannellini (white kidney) beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large potato, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 whole dried hot red chilies
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2 cups vegetable stock
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
Bread topping:
3 thick slices French bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
Rinse the dried beans under running water and soak overnight covered in several inches of cold water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Drain the next day and add to a medium saucepan with several inches of fresh cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are soft but not falling apart. Drain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 325° and heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil, wait a few moments, then swirl around to coat the pan. Toss in the onion, potato, carrot, celery and dried red chilies and sauté for 5 minutes. Now add the herb blend along with the garlic, and continue to cook for another minute.
Remove from heat and stir in the beans, vegetable stock, tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper to taste. Pour into a large and lightly oiled casserole dish, and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the bread topping by combining the bread, olive oil, parsley, Parmesan cheese and garlic in a food processor and blending on high speed until the bread is reduced to fine crumbs.
Remove the cassoulet from the oven and discard the whole chilies and bay leaf. Turn up the oven to 400° and sprinkle half the bread topping over the beans. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven once more, and stir the baked topping into the cassoulet. Sprinkle the rest of the topping over the beans and return to the oven for 15 more minutes, or until the bread topping is a light brown.
Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8.
Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 6 comments
SERVE IT UP! Beans and Legumes, Kidney Beans, Vegetables
Baked Cheese and Tortilla Pie with Jalapeños, Corn and Pinto Beans
At least once a year towards the end of the summer I’m confronted with the problem of disposing of an absurd number of jalapeños from the over-zealous plants in my garden. Giving dozens away to friends and family turns out to be an inadequate solution, and I’m not especially partial to the taste — or labour, to be honest — of preserving them. So jalapeño-heavy recipes it must be then…
Even people of average tolerance to heat should not be deterred by large quantities of hot peppers when they are tempered with plenty of dairy — east Indians have happily known this for centuries, serving cooling bowls of yogurt raitas with their spicy dishes. So last year I made an extraordinarily simple jalapeño pie loaded with jalapeños and lots of cheese and eggs that was surprisingly easy on the palette.
This year I went with loads of jalapeños and cheese again, but in a more elaborate Mexican-style pie with plenty of cool sour cream, pinto beans, and some lovely fresh local sweet corn. Layered like a lasagne but with soft corn tortillas instead of pasta, this is a firm but deliciously gooey pie that goes beautifully with a green salad and vinaigrette to cut the dairy.
If you’re still not sure about using twenty whole jalapeño peppers, reduce the amount by as much as half, or chop them into finer pieces. The crisp juiciness of fresh jalapeños makes them a must in my consideration, but if you do use canned jalapeños be sure to reduce the amount a little and cut them finer.
This is my contribution to Food and Fun’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving Celebration. Mansi is looking for tempting dishes to please the vegetarians at holiday time.
Baked Cheese and Tortilla Pie with Jalapeños, Corn and Pinto Beans
Bean layers:
2/3 cup dried pinto beans
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
large handful fresh coriander, chopped
Cheese corn layers:
cooked kernels from 1 ear of fresh corn (or 3/4 cup frozen corn, defrosted)
1 1/2 cups grated aged cheddar cheese (about 5 1/2 ounces)
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
You will also need:
10 soft corn tortillas, 10” or larger
2 9-inch flat-sided pie plates
olive oil for brushing
20 jalapeño peppers, seeded and sliced into rounds
1/2 cup grated aged cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
chili powder for garnish
To prepare the bean layers, rinse the beans under cold running water and soak overnight under several inches of cold water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Drain the beans and place in a small saucepan covered with several inches of fresh cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1/2 hours or until the beans are soft. Drain and remove the beans to a small mixing bowl. Mash the beans with a potato masher and mix with the sour cream, chili powder and coriander.
Prepare the cheese corn layers by stirring together the corn, cheddar cheese, sour cream and chili powder in a separate mixing bowl.
Preheat the oven to 300°.
If necessary, trim the edges of the corn tortillas to sit comfortably but fully within the 9-inch pie plates. For each of the pies, brush one side a tortilla with olive oil and place oiled side down in the bottom of the pie plate.
For each pie, spoon a quarter of the bean layer mixture onto the tortilla and spread evenly. Place a tortilla on top, and spoon and spread a quarter of the cheese corner layer mixture over that. Scatter half the jalapeños evenly over the cheese and cover with another tortilla. Repeat a layer of the beans, add another tortilla, and repeat a layer of the cheese and corn. Cover with one more tortilla and brush the top with a little olive oil.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese begins to bubble around the edges and the top tortilla begins to brown. Remove from the oven, turn on the broiler and move the oven rack to the top. Scatter the remaining cheddar cheese and sprinkle a little chili powder over the pies. Place under the broiler, one at a time if necessary, for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese on top begins to bubble. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Run a rubber spatula around the edges to loosen from the pan, and slide the pies onto serving plates. Serve in wedges, with a little extra sour cream if desired. Serves 6 to 8.
Posted on Tuesday, November 04, 2008 14 comments
SERVE IT UP! Beans and Legumes, Eggs and Cheese, Mexican, Pinto Beans, Vegetables
Rice and Green Lentils in Coconut Milk
Once again I have consulted my copy of World Vegetarian Classics by Celia Brooks Brown. Forgoing the simple task of deciding on a bean and soaking it the night before, I was focused on split dals and legumes, and a grain to balance it all out. This one pot creamy rice and lentil dish from Tanzania turned out to be the perfect mid-week meal solution. Like the Split Pea Cilantro Dumplings in a Coconut Curry I made, this recipe comes from the chapter on dishes from Central, East and Southern Africa. Much like a khichari in texture and spicing, the Indian influence in the Eastern region of Africa shines out here. I modified the recipe to suit my spicy tastes.
Rice and Green Lentils Cooked in Coconut Milk
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 - 3 hot red chili peppers, finely chopped
1 cup of green lentils, rinsed
1 cup of brown basmati rice, rinsed
1 teaspoon of garam masala
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 teaspoons of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 14 ounce can of coconut milk
2 cups of water
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown. Now add the garlic, ginger and hot pepper and stir and fry for about 1 minute. Throw in the spices, stir a few times and then add the lentils and rice. Stir and pour in the water, coconut milk and add the salt. Stir to combine all the ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and cook, without stirring for 40 - 50 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are soft and tender. Check the dish periodically in case you need to add more water.
Serves 4.
Other African dishes you might like:
Northeast African Millet Patties
Nigerian Baked Beans
African Bean and Peanut Soup
Ethiopian lentil & mustard salad (Azefa)
Harira (Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil Stew)
Posted on Sunday, November 02, 2008 12 comments
SERVE IT UP! African, Beans and Legumes, Grains, Lentils
No Croutons Required - The Winner of the Hearty Soup Challenge
As usual, there was some tough competition, but the votes are in and Ashley of Method is the winner of the Hearty Vegetarian Soup challenge with her inspired Pumpkin Chili. This thick veggie and bean soup is a perfect autumn creation. Congratulations Ashley!
Holler will be hosting November’s Edition of No Croutons Required. This month we are asking for hearty soups or salads containing pasta.
Posted on Friday, October 31, 2008 10 comments
SERVE IT UP! No Croutons Required
Savoury Cheese Crackers
Somehow or other, I’ve had more kitchen disasters in the last few weeks than I have had in the past two years. First, there was a cornmeal shortbread that tempted me, and though the dough was delicious, it didn’t hold together and into the trash can it went. After that, there were the little discs of goat cheese that I tried to fry up to serve with sauted portabello mushrooms. It was all good until it was time to flip them over. I ended up with a glob of cheese, but I spread it over some toast, along with a mushroom, and so managed to salvage dinner. Finally, we come to this recipe for Savoury Cheese Crackers.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was treated to a visit from my Dad this past weekend. On the afternoon he arrived, I decided I wanted to make a little snack. I was short on ingredients but had everything I needed for these crackers. Into the food processor went the dry ingredients, butter and cheese. At this point, I was supposed to have a dough to knead. Well, the mixture just resembled flour. Perhaps my ingredients were too cold? What to do? Not wanting to waste cheese and butter, and still determined to make something for my Dad to enjoy, I threw in a couple of eggs, pulsed them a few times and so I had a dough. I probably could have managed with just one egg, but no matter, as they ended up turning out well and the egg gave the crackers an extra richness and a slight crispiness. They are essentially a cross between a cracker and a savory cookie.
Savory Cheese Crackers
1 1/4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of dry mustard
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup of cold butter
2 cups of cold grated extra old cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of cold grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, mustard, salt and cayenne in a food processor.
Add the butter and cheeses and pulse. Now add the eggs and pulse until you get a dough. Turn out onto a whole wheat floured board and knead a few times. Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll out the dough until it is roughly 1/8 thick. Cut with a cookie cutter of your choice and transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat with each portion of dough, and reroll the scraps.
Bake in batches in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature.
Makes roughly 3 dozen.
Posted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 9 comments
SERVE IT UP! Appetizers, Biscuits and Crackers, Eggs and -————
Rice Flour Pancakes
A shortage of munitions in the kitchen with a corresponding failure to consider the solution the night before, combined with a desire to produce something for dinner without resorting to pizza delivery or dining out, resulted in a focus on staples.
Pancakes were an obvious choice, especially when you can salvage the last few peppers from the vine along with some vibrant green parsley. A comforting treat any time of day, I adapted this Dosa recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian to suit my tummy. Delightfully satisfying for breakfast, lunch or dinner, serve with some chutney, such as Fresh Tomato Chutney, or as a bread alongside an Indian meal as a substitute for Naan.
Indian Rice Flour Pancakes
1 cup of unbleached white flour
1 cup of rice flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 cup of yogurt
3/4 cup of water
2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 - 3 jalapenos or hot green chilies, finely chopped
dash of cayenne
dash of ground coriander
dash of cumin
dash of turmeric
peanut oil for frying
Combine the flours, salt and yogurt in a food processor. Add the water and process until you have a smooth batter. Add the remaining ingredients, pulse for a few quick seconds and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir a few times.
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium low heat. When hot, pour in roughly 1/3 cup of batter. Swirl it around a bit so you get a roughly 6 - 7 inch pancake. Add another teaspoon or so of oil to the edges of the pan, cover and cook for roughly 6 minutes, or until the bottom of the pancake is reddish brown. Gently flip the pancake and cook, uncovered, for another 5 minutes or so. Transfer the pancake to a plate, cover with foil and repeat the process with the remaining batter.
Makes roughly 8 pancakes.
Other Indian fried savories to be enjoyed:
Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Crushed Peas and Cilantro (Pudla)
Savory Rice and Urad Dal Pancakes (Dosa)
Savoury Mung Dal Pancakes
Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 11 comments
SERVE IT UP! Breads and Muffins, Indian
http://foodandspice.blogspot.com/search/label/Barley
Mango Barley Porridge with Blackberries
Tangy chunks of mango in a thick, creamy mango juice broth surrounding soft and chewy grains of barley, topped with the mild tartness of fresh blackberries — even the most reluctant of porridge eaters will be back for a second bowl of this naturally sweet and colourful breakfast delight. Cooked at low temperature in a risotto style with the juice slowly added to preserve the barley, this porridge does take about two hours to cook even though the preparation and method are extraordinarily simple, so it’s definitely not a weekday breakfast option for most of us. But do try it on a Sunday morning when you’ve got plenty of time — your family will love you for it.
Mango barley porridge with blackberries
1 cup pearl barley
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups mango juice, room temperature
6 green cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 large red mango, peeled and chopped
1/4 pint blackberries
Rinse the barley and soak overnight in 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to its lowest setting and cover. Simmer, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for 45 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup of the mango juice. Put the cardamom pods in a tea ball and add to the saucepan along with the salt. Cover, and continue to simmer, stirring every 10 minutes as before.
After 20 and 40 minutes, stir in another ½ cup portion of the mango juice, while continuing to stir every 10 minutes. When the last portion of the mango juice has cooked in the barley for 20 minutes, you should end up with a thick, but not too thick porridge. Remove the tea ball and stir in the honey and chopped mango. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature, topped with fresh blackberries. Serves 4 - 6.
I’m sharing this with Escapades who will be hosting the next edition of Weekend Breakfast Blogging. The theme is mangoes.
Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 14 comments
SERVE IT UP! Barley, Breakfast, Grains
Anooshavoor: Turkish Barley and Apricot Porridge
Although whole grain porridges are a staple breakfast food in my kitchen, I’d never considered barley a morning grain until I came across this recipe in my treasured copy of Mollie Katzen’s Sunlight Café for anooshoavoor, an apparently traditional Turkish barley porridge that’s flavoured with apples, apricots, honey and cardamom. It’s one of the most delicious and satisfying porridges I’ve ever had.
Cooked in a risotto style with liquid slowly added to very low heat, the result is a creamy, sweet porridge surrounding the still chewy grains of barley. But although the preparation and instructions are so extraordinarily simple, it takes about two hours to cook so it’s not a breakfast for a weekday unless you make it the night before and reheat the next morning.
Mollie’s recipe calls for cooking the barley in apple juice, but using apple cider instead gives the porridge an especially full, rich apple taste.
Anooshavoor
½ cup pearl barley
1 ¼ cups water
1 ½ cups apple cider, room temperature
6 green cardamom pods
¼ teaspoon sea salt
5 or more dried apricots, to taste, sliced or chopped
1 tablespoon honey
Rinse the barley and soak overnight in a small saucepan in the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to its lowest setting and cover. Simmer, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for 45 minutes while checking the water level (if the porridge dries, add a little more water).
Stir in ½ cup of the apple cider. Put the cardamom pods in a tea ball and add to the saucepan along with the salt. Cover, and continue to simmer, stirring every 10 minutes as before.
After 20 and 40 minutes, stir in another ½ cup portion of the apple cider, while continuing to stir every 10 minutes. When the last portion of the apple cider has cooked in the barley for 20 minutes, you should end up with a thick, but not too thick porridge. If it’s too thick for your taste, thin it with a little more apple cider. Remove the tea ball and stir in the honey and apricots, letting them settle for a few minutes to that the apricots soften.
Serve hot or at room temperature, topped with milk, cream or yogurt. Serves 2 - 3.
Posted on Thursday, September 27, 2007 2 comments
SERVE IT UP! Barley, Breakfast, Grains, Turkish
http://www.eatmedelicious.com/2008/06/beet-barley-black-bean-soup.html
Beet, Barley & Black Bean Soup
Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance
1 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
5 cloves garlic
2 tsp dried tarragon
Black pepper
8 cups water
4 medium-size beets, cut in half & half again, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3/4 cup pot barley
2 tbsp soy sauce
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (about 2 cups)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Dill (optional)
In a stockpot over medium heat, saute the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tarragon, and pepper; saute until fragrant (about a minute). Add 8 cups of water, the beets, barley, and soy sauce, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the beans and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the barley from sticking together, or unitl the barley is tender. Add the balsamic vinegar. Add dill if desired.
http://www.eatmedelicious.com/2008/05/choklays-tibetan-lentil-soup.html
Choklay’s Tibetan Lentil Soup
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special
1 1/2 cups dried red split lentils, rinsed
6 cups water
1 tsp oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 fresh chile, seeded and finely minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
3 cups (28 oz can) undrained canned chopped tomatoes
3/4 tsp salt
In a nonreactive soup pot, bring the lentils and water to a boil; then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium saucepan and saute the onions, garlic, and chile for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, coriander and cumin and saute for another minute, stirring to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat and set aside.
When the lentils are tender, stir the canned tomatoes into the soup pot. Add the salt and sauteed vegetables. Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender. If you like, take 2 cups of the soup out and puree them, then add back to the soup.
http://www.eatmedelicious.com/search/label/healthy
Wild Rice Almond Cherry Pilaf
I bought ExtraVeganZa a couple of months ago and so far have only made this one recipe. There are lots of interesting recipes in the book including some intriguing pie crust recipes - pumpkin seed rice flour crust, almond oat crust, barley coconut crust, buckwheat hazelnut crust, etc. Okay looking over these crust recipes reminds me that I must make crusts more often and must try out these healthier pie crusts. Anyway, the wild rice almond cherry pilaf was yummy. It could be a meal on its own though I usually ate it with something else as well. It makes a ton so either be ready to eat it for at least a few days or have people to share it with!
Now onto something a little (a lot) more unhealthy. MyRecipes has started their cookie countdown - go here to sign up for the newsletter. I’ve already found a few I want to make (mind you there aren’t many cookies that I wouldn’t want to make. So far - lemon coconut snowballs, chocolate chip cookie bars and death by caramel bars.)
Oh and some of you asked what our kitten’s name is - her name is Abby. She was sick for a while but now seems to be doing better, and acting like a psychotic little kitten running around. She also chases her tail! Which I’ve only ever seen dogs do. Mind you she has a very enticing puffy tail.
Wild Rice Almond Cherry Pilaf
Adapted from ExtraVeganZa
My adaptations were to use less oil, more onion and more garlic.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup brown basmati rice
1 cup wild rice
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tsp dried savory
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
4 cups water
3/4 cups almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp tamari
Toast the almonds in a small frying pan for 5-10 minutes on medium heat, until they begin to lightly brown. Remove from heat and allow the nuts to cool. When cool, chop into coarse chunks and set aside.
In a large cooking pot, saute the onion, celery and garlic in the olive oil on medium heat. When the onions become translucent, stir in the basmati and wild rice. Add the salt, savory and sherry and allow the rice to simmer in the sherry for 5-10 minutes. Stir in the cherries and water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and allow the rice to simmer for about 45 minutes.
Check to make sure that all of the water is evaporated. You may need to cook the rice a few minutes longer to ensure that it is thoroughly done. When all of the water has evaporated, remove from heat and allow the rice to cool for 5-10 minutes. Stir in the toasted almonds, parsley and tamari. Transfer the rice to a serving dish and enjoy.
at 10:52 PM 17 comments
Labels: dried fruit, healthy, main course, nuts, rice, side dishes, vegan
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sunny Jungle Bars
I’m in my third week of classes now. Last week we were learning about salmon and had to gut and can them. Thankfully I didn’t have to do the gutting. Now that I’m back in school I’m recalling the great lack of time for food blogging. I do love being part of the food blog world but if I only have a bit of free time I’d rather spend it baking (as I’m sure most/all of you would, well for some of you it’s cooking). But hopefully I will still be around often enough and won’t miss out on too many yummy things on people’s blogs. I found some amazing looking easy cinnamon bun bread on Baking Bites this morning - must make that soon.
Alright onto the food! As with many other things, I’ve wanted to make granola bars for a long time. And I’ve also wanted the Nurture cookbook for a long time. These granola bars are more effort than others I’m sure, as they involve making a fruit pulp that you spread in the middle of two granola layers. But they are delicious, if a bit soft and crumbly. Mind you I reduced the oil so maybe that’s why. I’ve been keeping them in the freezer and just eating them directly from there. This recipe can be played with a lot, using different combinations of fruit, nuts, seeds, nut butters and natural sweeteners. I wonder what it would be like if I just mixed it all together instead of making a separate fruit pulp layer hmm.
Sunny Jungle Bars
Recipes to Nurture
The original recipe called for 1/2 cup apple juice, 1 cup almonds, 1/2 cup oil, almond butter, and no applesauce.
1 cup pitted dates, finely chopped
1 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp apple juice
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup flaxseed, ground
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Preheat oven to 375F and line a 9x9 (or 8x8) baking pan.
Place the dates, apricots and apple juice in a saucepan and bring a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and mix well with a spoon to form a pulp.
Meanwhile, in a food processor combine walnuts and pumpkin seeds. Pulse into a “meal” (very finely chopped) but not so far it becomes a butter. Add rolled oats, sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds and sea salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Add this mixture to the oat mixture and stir to combine. Press half the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the fruit pulp evenly over top, then finish with the remaining oat mixture. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 minutes.
Allow to cool in the tin on a rack before slicing into squares.
at 6:07 PM 23 comments
Labels: baked goods, bars, dried fruit, healthy
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Applesauce-Oat Bran Muffins
I was really excited to see that my library had Veganomicon as I’ve seen many people posting recipes from it and have been curious. I’ve since bought the cookbook but have only tried out a few recipes from it so far. These delicious applesauce oat bran muffins are one of the recipes I’ve tried. I’ve made them many times, with modifications to make them healthier.
Which brings me to the Healthy Cooking event hosted by Fun and Food that I’m taking part in. The point behind this event is to gather vegetarian recipes (including baked goods) that are healthy, and I know I could definitely use some new healthy recipes! And a bonus is that a winner will be chosen and will receive a free healthy cookbook. What I did to make these muffins healthier is what I usually do with muffins - swap applesauce for oil (which works especially well in this recipe since it’s an applesauce muffin!), omit the sugar, use whole grain flours, and add healthy nuts and dried fruit.
I changed the spices a bit (added more cinnamon and added some cloves) to simplify it rather than measuring out a tiny bit of a few different spices. So add whatever spice mixture you like to this (cloves, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice)! I’ve also tried making these muffins with combinations of flours with success, like a mix of whole wheat flour and amaranth flour. And of course switch out the raisins and pecans/walnuts for other favourite fruit and/or nut combinations. I haven’t tried any yet because I’m really stuck on this version, but I bet chopped dried apples would be perfect. This is probably one of my favourite healthy muffin discoveries/creations!
Applesauce-Oat Bran Muffins
Adapted from Veganomicon
Makes 12 muffins
3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup + 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp sugar (optional)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or a combination of whole wheat flour and other flours, such as 1/2 cup amaranth flour and 1 cup whole wheat)
3/4 cup oat bran
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
In a large bowl, whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar; allow it to rest for 1 minute to curdle. Add the applesauce, and sugar (if using), and whisk to completely incorporate them.
In a separate smaller bowl, sift together the flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet; stir only to moisten and don’t overmix. Fold in the raisins and pecans. Use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to scoop the batter into muffin cups.
Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to complete cooling.
at 9:59 PM 25 comments
Labels: apples, baked goods, dried fruit, healthy, muffins, nuts, vegan
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Pomegranate Smoothie
This is the first beverage I’ve ever posted about, and possibly the last. I like trying out different drinks but I don’t really care that much about making them at home. Except for smoothies, which I make with yogurt, frozen fruit and fruit juice. Not that I’ve been making many recently due to the cold weather. (Where are you summer? And who ever thought I’d be wanting summer to come and not relishing the cold weather?)
Anyway, so I subscribe to Everyday Food magazine but haven’t been looking through the issues recently. I came across this pomegranate smoothie recipe and was both sad that I had missed it in the issue, but also happy that I had stumbled across it on the internet. It’s really quite a perfect, delicious and healthy smoothie. The silken tofu gives it this really nice mouthfeel (a term I’ve gleaned from my food technology program) - as though there’s heavy cream in there or something and it doesn’t taste like tofu at all. And it’s full of antioxidants, especially if you use frozen berries.
Pomegranate Smoothie
Adapted from March 08 Everyday Food magazine (found on Husband Tested Recipes From Alice’s Kitchen)
1/3 cup silken tofu (about 3 oz.)
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon honey (add more if you like it sweeter)
2 ice cubes (or just omit because the frozen berries make them kind of pointless)
In a blender, combine all ingredients. Puree until smooth. Serve immediately. (If the smoothie seems too thick, just add a bit more pomegranate juice.)
at 10:29 PM 23 comments
Labels: breakfast, fruit, healthy, vegan
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Mini Pear Loaves
This recipe is originally for pear ginger “bread” (not sure why it’s called bread though as it’s really more muffin/loaf-y). Anyway I thought - pear and ginger? That sounds good. Well I was wrong! The recipe calls for 3 tbsp fresh ginger which is a lot of ginger, too much for me and I love ginger. But I think I prefer it in savoury things like beet and tofu salad. Or at least in the dried form for baked goods, though I’ve never tried crystallized ginger.
Anyway, the great thing about these little loaves is that they’re so deliciously soft and the pear in them is just perfect and doesn’t make them mushy, as I’ve found apples can in muffin recipes. I tried a pear, cardamom and pumpkin seed muffin version of this recipe and while I liked the sound of it, I didn’t really like the cardamom in there. I plan to try out other variations on this recipe adding different spices, nuts and fruit (and of course I’d like to try out a version that involves chocolate!) I modified the recipe to be healthier, as with most other muffin recipes I make (unless I just want to go all out).
Mini Pear Loaves
adapted from The Garden of Vegan
Makes 8 mini loaves or 12 muffins.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup applesauce
1 banana, mashed
1 large pear, cored and cubed
1/2 cup nuts or seeds (pecans, pumpkin seeds, etc)
Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in sugar, apple juice, applesauce, banana, pear, and nuts/seeds. Stir together gently until “just mixed.” Pour batter into a lightly oiled mini loaf pan or muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
at 9:56 AM 28 comments
Labels: baked goods, breads/loaves, fruit, healthy, vegan
Thursday, April 3, 2008
My 100th Post! And Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread
This is my 100th post! I don’t have anything exciting to celebrate it with but this banana bread was pretty delicious. I rarely make banana bread because when I was growing up my mom always made it. It was yummy but I guess lost its magical appeal. She never put walnuts or chocolate chips in it though, and this was actually my first time putting chocolate chips in banana bread. I like to maintain this image in my mind of banana bread being healthy and if I put chocolate chips in it, well it just makes it a little more difficult to believe! But I thought if I cut down the sugar a lot (to 2 tablespoons) and only put a small amount of chocolate chips, it wouldn’t be a terribly unhealthy snack. And thus begins my love of this chocolate walnut banana bread.
I haven’t used my mini loaf pans for a while and forgot how great little loaves are. In the recipe I wrote that you can use either oat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. The oat flour makes it much denser, but I loved it that way. If that’s not quite for you, try the whole wheat pastry flour. It will still be a dense muffin but lightens it up a bit.
Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread
Adapted from How It All Vegan!
Makes 1 loaf, 6 mini loaves, or 12 small-ish muffins
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour OR oat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup chocolate chips, optional*
Preheat oven to 375F. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until very mushy, then add the applesauce, sugar, and walnuts and stir together.
In a separate large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour (or oat flour), salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and mix together gently until “just mixed”. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
Spoon into a lightly oiled loaf pan (or muffin pan) and bake for 40-50 minutes**. Test with a toothpick or a knife to see if done.
*Use nondairy chocolate chips or omit them to make this vegan.
**The first time I made these, I used mini loaf pans and I can’t remember how long it took. I would check them around 25 minutes and see how they are. Maybe even 20 minutes.
at 7:57 PM 28 comments
Labels: baked goods, bananas, breads/loaves, chocolate, healthy, nuts, vegan
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
I’ve sadly never heard of the Weekend Breakfast Blogging event, even though it started over a year ago. I’m happy I stumbled across it though and can’t wait to see the round up for this month’s theme which is balanced breakfast meals. I’m always looking for new and healthy ideas for breakfast (that can be used for snacks too!) and the bonus is that everything for this challenge has to be vegetarian. I think my muffin does a good job of meeting the balanced meal requirements, especially if paired with a yogurt. It has pumpkin and raisins (vegetables and fruit), whole wheat flour (grains), and pecans (protein). And to top it all off, it’s healthy!
I’ve been making a lot of things from Vegan with a Vengeance recently, including corn chowder. I’m trying to cut back on dairy and eggs, so I’ve been turning more often to my vegan cookbooks and finding yummy recipes. These pumpkin muffins are really moist and soft, and very delicious. Since a can of pumpkin is about 1 3/4 cups of pumpkin (and the recipe only calls for 1 cup), the second time I made these I attempted to replace the applesauce with extra pumpkin. That really did not work out so well. I need a pumpkin recipe that uses up the whole can! (Or I could approximately double this one.)
Pumpkin Pecan Raisins Muffins
Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance
Makes 12 muffins.
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves**
1 cup pureed pumpkin (fresh or from a can; do not use pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tbsp molasses***
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a 12 muffin tin.
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, soy milk, applesauce and molasses. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix.
Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
*I think I might’ve used 1 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour, no whole wheat pastry flour but I’m not sure. So to be on the safe side, I’d say use some whole wheat pastry flour so the muffin isn’t too dense.
**If you have pumpkin pie spice, replace the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves with about 2 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice.
***Original recipe called for 2 tbsp but I am not a huge molasses lover. I might cut it back to 1/2 tbsp next time.
at 8:43 AM 21 comments
Labels: healthy, muffins, nuts, pumpkin
http://www.eatmedelicious.com/2008/10/oatmeal-coconut-chocolate-pecan-squares.html
Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Pecan Squares
I saw these bars on Everybody Likes Sandwiches and of course knew I had to make them. Oats, coconut, chocolate, pecans - how could I resist? At first when I tried them I was disappointed that there wasn’t more coconut, but then I froze them and started to eat them out of the freezer. A little too often. They’re really addictively delicious.
If this sounds good, you might also like:
Chocolate Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
Chocolate Fudge Souffle Bars
Chocolate Marble Chunk Cookies
Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Pecan Squares
everybody likes sandwiches
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all the dry ingredients (oats through salt) in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the melted butter, egg and vanilla. Dump the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until well blended. Oil up an 8x8 pan and pour mixture in, patting the top flat with your hands while making sure the mixture gets into the corners. Bake for 25 minutes and cool. Cut into squares.
http://www.eatmedelicious.com/search/label/rice
Fried Rice
Fried rice is one of my favourite things to eat. My friend taught me how to make it back in high school and I’ve made it many times since then. Recently I’ve started to eat more healthy, as some of you know, so I wanted to try using brown rice instead of white rice. I found a recipe for pineapple fried rice in Real Vegetarian Thai (my first recipe out of that book). I was really excited! But in the end, it really did not turn out so well. It was fine and it was edible, but I know that as much as I want to use brown rice for fried rice, I really should be using the evil white rice. Or maybe brown basmati rice? Using brown rice to make fried rice results in more of a gooey rice dish, almost like risotto actually (though not that creamy). Also, I tried not to use as much oil as I used to and that doesn’t really work for fried rice either. Anyway, rather than post the pineapple fried rice recipe, I will give you my recipe for fried rice, and let this be a cautionary tale! Simple and delicious and I’m sure many of you don’t need a recipe for this. But if you’re like I was and need a recipe, here’s an easy starting point for. For me, the key is adding lots of onions because I love the way it flavours the fried rice. I don’t add any soy sauce or sesame oil or anything, though of course you can do that.
Fried Rice
Serves 1 (easily doubled, quadrupled, etc)
2 cups cold cooked white rice
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup of chopped veggies (including lots of onions)
salt & pepper
4 tablespoons oil
Heat the oil in a skillet at medium high heat. Once hot, add the veggies and sautee until onions are soft (or slightly caramelized, whatever you like). Add the cold rice and stir everything up. Once the rice is heated through and has browned a little bit (I like the browned bits, if you don’t then just don’t cook it as long). Once the rice and veggies are cooked to the point you want them to be at, pour the beaten egg (or add two eggs if you want lots of eggs) over the rice/veggie mixture. Stir everything up together quickly so the egg is well dispersed. Once the egg is cooked (a minute or two), you’re done! I like adding cashews too.
at 4:54 PM 5 comments
Labels: main course, rice
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Most Delicious Salsa
I’ve eyed the recipe in the Rebar cookbook for Parmesan corn risotto cakes many times. Of course this was always at times of the year when there was no fresh corn to be had. Finally it happened where I looked at the recipe and I knew I could get fresh corn. I set out to make these one day for lunch for a friend and myself, but without a lot of foresight. The risotto needs time to completely cool before it can be made into cakes. I spread it out on a cookie sheet and put it in the fridge (then was scared that that was the reason our fridge broke but no it wasn’t) hoping it would cool down fast enough but it just didn’t really work. It was really difficult to shape the corn risotto into balls (oh and did I mention that I completely forgot to add the Parmesan, it still tasted good though!) The next day when I had leftovers, I just took them to work instead of trying to make them into cakes again.
You can really see here how the risotto didn’t shape very well into patties.
The risotto is made with corn stock (made using fresh ears of corn that have had the kernels sliced off), shaped into balls, covered in cornmeal, then pan fried. And of course you add the freshly cut corn kernels to the risotto. I had no idea how delicious fresh raw corn is when cut off the cob (and hopefully this is something that’s okay to eat and not going to screw up my digestive system or something). The taste of the risotto was good, and the crispy cornmeal bits on the outside were good too. I have definitely discovered that I do not enjoy shaping things into patties and pan frying them though - unless the things I’m pan frying are really going to stick together. One time I tried to make potato patties but I must have let the potatoes boil too long because the patties were too moist - or maybe I should’ve just added some flour or bread crumbs to them. I really love the idea of risotto balls or risotto cakes (one time I saw Emeril using leftover risotto to make risotto balls that he stuck a piece of cheese in the middle of, then deep fried), so I’d like to say that I’d try it again. But if nothing else, the corn risotto was good on its own (with or without the Parmesan!)
Anyway, it was the grape tomato basil salsa that really stole the show here. I’ve seen the recipe before and thought I’d like to try it, but salsa was one of the many things I feared making (along with pie crusts savoury and sweet), and it requires fresh basil so I’d prefer to make it in the summer when basil is cheap. (Though now that I know how delicious it is, I’d like to make it all year round.) It was very strange that I had all the ingredients in the house to make this salsa (which was the salsa suggested to go with the Parmesan corn risotto cakes), because I don’t usually have grape tomatoes or basil in the house. I’m extremely happy that I did though because this salsa is amazing. Truly truly amazing and so delicious. I will be making it again and again. (Which reminds me that I should make a list somewhere of all my favourite food so I have this wonderful master list to refer to.) There’s balsamic vinegar in the salsa which seemed different because I’ve never had vinegar in a salsa (to my knowledge), but it was oh so good.
I served the cakes and salsa with sauteed zucchini on the side - local yellow zucchini at that. I was very excited about this yellow zucchini, but for some reason it ended up tasting very odd to me, like seafood or something. Now I want to stay away from yellow zucchini, though I really should give it another chance.
I wasn’t going to post the recipe for the Parmesan corn risotto cakes but then after I wrote all about it, I’m sure someone might be interested in it so I’ll just post both recipes. Though if you’re only going to make one of them, make the salsa! Make it soon while things are still in season. If you’re looking for other risotto recipes, you can check out the baked sweet potato and beet risotto with peas I made.
Grape Tomato Salsa
(adapted from Rebar)
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
3 scallions, greens only, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt and cracked pepper to taste
Slice grape tomatoes into quarters. Toss with remaining ingredients, season to taste.
Parmesan Corn Risotto Cakes
(from Rebar)
Fresh corn stock
4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed and reserved
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
few springs fresh oregano, parsley or thyme
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp coarse salt
8 cups cold water
Risotto cakes
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups fresh corn
1 cup white wine
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup fine cornmeal
Note: Make the risotto the day before you want to make the cakes so the risotto has lots of time to cool completely. If you just want to eat the risotto and not make cakes, then obviously this doesn’t apply.
1. Place stock into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes. Strain to a boil and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes. Strain and keep warm (you will need 4-5 cups in total).
2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy saucepan and saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add the rice and cook, stirring until the rice is well coated. Add the corn, season with salt and saute for several minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer until asborbed. Now start adding warm corn stock, one cup at a time. Keep stirring and add the next cup of stock only when most of the liquid is absorbed. Now start adding warm corn stock, one cup at a time. Keep stirring and add the next cup of stock only when most of the liquid is basorbed and the rice still looks creamy. When the rice is tender but the grains still slightly firm to the bite, remove risotto from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. (Stop here if you are just making the risotto and not the cakes.) Season to taste and spraed the risotto into a baking pan to speed cooling. Cover and refrigerate.
3. To saute cakes, form the risotto into 2 1/2” round cakes and dredge in cornmeal. Fry in hot olive oil unitl golden and crispy on both sides.
at 9:15 PM 8 comments
Labels: basil, corn, dips, main course, rice, tomatoes
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Baked Sweet Potato & Beet Risotto With Peas
I love risotto and the creaminess of it that comes from the starch in the Arborio rice (at least I assume that’s mostly where it comes from). I love risotto so much that even when my coworkers give me disgusting images of why they don’t like risotto (that I won’t repeat here in an effort to sustain the risotto love), I still love it. I’ve only made it once, so I figured it was time again. I used my homemade vegetable stock, Giada De Laurentiis’s basic risotto recipe, and some of my favourite veggies (sweet potato - not yams!, beets, and peas). I baked the yams and beets together for about 45 minutes with no oil (yes I’m sure they would’ve been more tasty with oil but this was a small effort to be healthy). They were a bit dry but once added to the risotto, totally fine. I’ve never baked beets before and while they still had their delicious beet essence, I much prefer them boiled (where they end up more succulent and tender). Maybe if I had tossed the beets in oil before baking them they would’ve turned out differently but I doubt they would’ve been as good as when boiled. I added frozen peas at the end and just stirred the risotto around a bit to heat them up.
I had quite the ordeal with the wine because first, I couldn’t find the white wine, second, I couldn’t find the bottle opener, and third, once I found the bottle opener I had no idea how to use and wasn’t sure if the cork was ever going to come out and when it did if I was going to jab myself in the eye. But it came out and my eye is intact. And the wine smelled so delicious when added to the risotto, so it was all worthwhile.
I think one of the reasons I haven’t made risotto more often is because of the $5 it costs for a small bag at Safeway (if they have it in stock). When I went to Eat Vancouver several weeks ago, Bosa Foods had a stall set up (well actually it was more like a mini store) selling a selection of Italian food items. I picked up a box of Arborio rice for about $3, which ends up being about half the price of the rice at Safeway. I haven’t been to the actual Bosa Foods store yet, but apparently their new one on Kootenay St is huge.
Bosa Foods
562 Victoria Dr & 1465 Kootenay St
Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604-253-5578
Giada’s recipe is for basic/plain risotto, so you can feel free to add whatever vegetables, meat (wait why did a vegetarian just suggest meat...), or cheese (probably only hard cheese like Parmesan and Asiago?) to it that you want. It’s best to cook the vegetables separate from the rice so they don’t get mushy. As for how much of each to add, it’s up to you but for this amount of risotto, I did one sweet potato, one beet, and about half a cup of peas. I should’ve used some of the leftover risotto to try making risotto cakes (risotto that’s been shaped into patties and then pan fried) or maybe deep fried risotto balls with mozzarella on the inside (I think I saw that on Emeril).
Basic Risotto
(from Everyday Italian)
4 cups vegetable stock (my note: she calls for reduced-sodium chicken broth)
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onion (my note: about 1/2 an onion)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat. (My note: this is a really important step, because it will take forever for the broth to incorporate into the rice if it’s not already hot.)
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender but now brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. Remove from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and the salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
http://www.opensourcefood.com/people/wokkingmum/recipes/potato-cheese-balls
Potato Cheese Balls
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License
Ingredients
* 2 Potatoes
* 60g Parmesan Cheese, grated
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 Egg Yolk
* Spring onions, chopped (optional)
* Batter
* Oil for frying
Tags
* quick
* vegetable
1. Boil potatoes till soft.
2. Peel the skin and mash will cooled.
3. Add in cheese, salt spring onions and egg yolk to mashed potato.
4. Mix well.
5. Divide into equal portion and shape into balls.
6. Dip potato ball into batter and fry to golden brown.
7. Remove, drain and serve.
Note:
* You can also coat will breadcrumb instead of batter for a crunchier bite.
* You can use either tempura batter or normal plain flour plus water batter. A thin batter is preferred.
http://www.opensourcefood.com/people/wokkingmum/recipes/chocolate-and-cream-cheese-truffles
Chocolate and Cream Cheese Truffles
Ingredients
* 180g Confectioner’s Sugar aka Icing Sugar
* 60g Cream Cheese (I use Philadelphia Cream Cheese)
* 100g Unsweetened Chocolate
* Cocoa Powder for rolling
1. Mix cream cheese and sugar together.
2. Melt Chocolate using double boil method.
3. Add to the cream cheese and sugar.
4. Mix well.
5. Scoop some mixture and roll into balls.
6. Refrigerate for an hour to harden.
7. Pour some cocoa powder on a plate.
8. Place chocolate balls on the powder.
9. Roll to coat evenly.
10. Pop one in your mouth now and enjoy. wink
http://www.opensourcefood.com/people/Paula/recipes/apple-cookies
Apple cookies
For Dough:
* 350 grams of flour
* 200 grams of butter
* 100 grams of sour cream
* 1 egg
* 1 yolk
* pinch of salt
* 10 grams of yeast
* half spoon of sugar
For filling:
* 500 grams of apples, cores cut out, cut into eigths
* custer suger and vanila suger for dusting
1. Stif the flour, put in slices of butter and yeast mixed with sugar, add cream, yolk, egg, knead swiftly.
2. Form dough into ball and keep in the fridge over night.
3. Next day, roll the dough into 3-4 mm thick, cut out circles, place apple and close
4. Bake in preheated oven, in 180 degrees, till golden brown.
5. Dust with custer/ vanila sugar mixture.
[There are many hidden links in this post for more info, posted for those of you that it might help...granny]
Link to beingfrugal.net
Tightwad Tuesday: Get Great Deals on Christmas Presents
Posted: 11 Nov 2008 06:00 AM CST
Christmas Shopping.jpg
I avoid malls like the plague during the month of December.
I’m one of those people who likes to have all of my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving, so I can relax and enjoy the holiday season, rather than fight insane crowds at the shopping mall.
And like many other people this year, my family is on a tight budget this Christmas, meaning I need to make my Christmas dollars go farther. Fortunately, being frugal, I have a plan of attack when it comes to getting quality Christmas presents on the cheap.
Know Where to Find the Deals
I like to peruse message boards, where members post great deals on everything from toys to clothes to furniture. My favorite is Fishing For Deals, but a Google search will surely give you other results.
By keeping an eye on the message boards, other people do the work of finding the deals, and I can reap the benefits. When I find a great deal on the message board, I shop through the board’s link, so I can support them.
Shop Through Rebate Programs
If I find a deal on my own or just need to buy something that’s not on sale, I shop through programs like Ebates and MyPoints. These programs give cash back (in the form of actual cash or points to be applied to a gift card), making your money stretch farther. And right now if you sign up for Ebates through this link and make a qualifying purchase, $5 will be credited to your account! (and $5 to mine too!).
Ebates and MyPoints aren’t the only game in town anymore, as far as rebate programs go. ShopatHome.com is an up and coming rebate site. I’ve made a purchase through them already, and my cash back was credited directly to my account. The offer the same refer-a-friend bonus that Ebates does, where if you sign up through my link, we both get $5 if you make a qualifying purchase.
Don’t Forget to Use Coupon Codes
When shopping online, I always, always, ALWAYS do a search for an online coupon code before I check out. Often I can’t find one, but sometimes I can find a code that I can combine with the rebate program to save big bucks!
Doing a Google search usually works, as does checking the forums I mentioned earlier. Kyle of Rather-Be-Shopping, who writes for me every Wednesday, also has a great list of deals and coupons on his site.
Speaking of codes, I have the opportunity to share with you a great code for Small World Toys. Small World Toys is a company that focuses on quality educational toys for children. (My kind of toys!) If you use the code SALE134 from now until December 15, you can get 20% off your order!
And to Kick Off the Shopping Season”: A Giveaway!
Finally, Walmart is spreading the holiday cheer by offering a $50 gift card for me to give away to one lucky reader! You can use the gift card to buy gifts, food, or anything else you might need from Walmart this Christmas season!
To enter the giveaway, you must be subscribed to my blog. I’ve put a secret phrase at the bottom of the posts that go out by RSS or email. Just contact me with the secret phrase in the subject line, and you will be entered in the giveaway.
If you’re not subscribed to Being Frugal yet, it’s easy. If you use an RSS reader, click here. If you’d rather receive Being Frugal by email, click here (and make sure to click the email verification link that will be sent to your email address). Don’t worry, I don’t spam or sell your email address. If you’re confused, this link might be helpful.
I will take giveaway entries until Thursday, November 20 at noon PST. I will draw a winner using a random number generator and announce the winner on Friday, November 21. Only one entry per person.
Have a great holiday season, and remember to stay in your budget! You don’t want to be paying off credit cards come January!
Photo by singsing_sky.
Contact Me with the secret phrase “Candy Cane” to be entered in a drawing for a $50 Walmart gift card.
Copyright 2008 Lynnae McCoy
[Checking my mail, this from the Government alert on computers...granny]
National Cyber Alert System
Cyber Security Alert SA08-316A
Microsoft Updates for Multiple Vulnerabilities
Original release date: November 11, 2008
Last revised: —
Source: US-CERT
Systems Affected
* Microsoft Windows
* Microsoft Office XP, 2003, and 2007
* Microsoft XML Core Services
Overview
Microsoft has released updates that address vulnerabilities in
various Microsoft products, including Windows and Office.
Solution
Install updates
The updates to address these vulnerabilities are available on the
Microsoft Update site. We recommend enabling Automatic Updates.
Description
In the Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for November 2008,
Microsoft released updates to address vulnerabilities in Microsoft
Windows, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft XML Core Services. The
most severe of these vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to
execute arbitrary code on your computer.
More technical information is available in US-CERT Technical Cyber
Security Alert TA08-316A.
References
* US-CERT Technical Cyber Security Alert TA08-316A -
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA08-316A.html
* Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for November 2008 -
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-nov.mspx
* Microsoft Update -
https://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/
____________________________________________________________________
The most recent version of this document can be found at:
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/alerts/SA08-316A.html
Tokyo - Rooftop and underground urban farming lures young Japanese office workers
TOKYO - Tomohiro Kitazawa makes an unlikely farmer. He works neither under the sun
nor in the fields, instead reporting for duty in the bustling heart of Tokyo.
As Japan’s capital city struggles with problems from food safety to global warming
to unemployment, a growing number of people in the famously crowded metropolis are
becoming city farmers, planting crops atop tall buildings or deep underground.
Interview with ‘Mad City Chickens’ Directors
See clips from the documentary film in this 24 minute video interview with the directors
Robert Lughai and Tashai Lovington. Wisconsin Public Television, Director’s Cut.
Witness if you will Gallus Domesticus ... the backyard chicken. A mere few pounds
of feather, bone, and muscle; a creature regarded by many as a rather humorous,
though not so intelligent agent of food production. And yet, make note of a most
singular phenomenon now taking shape across suburb and city.
1943 - Bob Hope - Pepsodent tooth paste advertisement - What to do with a Victory
Garden
Of course, you know what a Victory Garden is. That’s a little garden where you go
out and putter around for a while, and if you can straighten your back again it’s
a victory. It’s fun, though. I have a beautiful patch - on my right hand where the
blister broke!
1917 Song - You ought to see the little garden in our back yard
Out in our town everybody there,
Even tho the Mayor tries to do his share
Teachers, Preachers, digging everywhere
We’re as busy as can be
One old soldier close to ninety three,
With a shovel on his shoulder said to me.
I’ve been told I’m going to propose,
To a girl named Rose Little turnip nose,
Radish hair and freckles, I suppose,
I have bought a carrot ring.
Rosie, Rosie,
Just the proper thing,
I can cauliflower to breakfast, lettuce sing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All stories here.
City Farmer News [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001vsdlorz96EfydlOHnsFlR697zsa8Imx_MtTdZvoiUd2nc5TGeBzZnwbqjm6tRSXUfRQReuppIgj7nvxKGtm52H_hp8uzLzFITR5YKOJKtZ8H3BFoAfp-Rg==]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael Levenston
City Farmer - Canada’s Office of Urban Agriculture
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fn622w.htm
Making Magic Mixes:
Milk Master Mix & Magic White Sauce
FN-w622, September 2005
Compiled by
Julie Garden-Robinson, food and nutrition specialist;
Bridget Curley, program assistant; and
Tera Sandvik, project coordinator
Click here for an Adobe Acrobat PDF file suitable for printing. (65KB)
Making your own mixes can save you money and time. Milk Master Mix combines nonfat dry milk with other common ingredients.
You can use Milk Master Mix to make soups, puddings and Magic White Sauce. Use Magic White Sauce in a variety of main dishes and desserts. For example, try the white sauce in macaroni and cheese.
Milk Master Mix
4 c. nonfat dry milk powder
1 c. flour
1 tsp. iodized salt
In a storage container with a tight lid, combine dry milk, flour and salt. Cover and store in a cool place. Stir before measuring for a recipe.
Tip: You may prefer to substitute 2/3 c. cornstarch for the 1 c. flour if making pudding.
Tip: 1 can of cream soup =
1 1/4 c. Milk Master Mix
1 1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. margarine
Cream of Tomato Soup
1 c. Milk Master Mix
1 qt. tomato juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp. Worchester sauce (optional)
Mix all ingredients together in a cooking pan. Cook the soup over moderate heat until it is smooth and thick. Stir often.
Makes four to six servings.
Per serving: 139 calories, 27g carbohydrate, 0.1g fat, 1.3g fiber and 1,014mg sodium
Vanilla Magic Pudding
1 c. Milk Master Mix
2 to 3 Tbsp. sugar
2 c. water
2 tsp. margarine (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix dry ingredients in a heavy sauce pan. Add water slowly while stirring; add margarine. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and almost to a boil. Lower heat and simmer a few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Makes four servings.
Per serving: 123 calories, 19.5g carbohydrate, 2g fat, 0.25g fiber and 265mg sodium
Try these ideas for variety:
Chocolate Magic Pudding: Add 2 tablespoons cocoa to dry ingredients in Vanilla Magic Pudding, and use 3 to 4 tablespoons of sugar instead of 2 to 3 tablespoons.
Butterscotch Magic Pudding: Instead of white sugar in Vanilla Magic Pudding, use 3 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar.
Magic White Sauce
1 c. Milk Master Mix
2 c. water
2 tsp. margarine (optional)
Place mix in saucepan, stir in water slowly; add margarine. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat, until thickened and almost boiling. Reduce heat and simmer a few minutes.
Yields 1 3/4 cups medium sauce.
Per 1/4 cup: 65 calories, 10g carbohydrate, 0.7g fat, 0.2g fiber and 171mg sodium
Cheese Sauce: Add three to four slices cut-up processed cheese or American cheese to hot Magic White Sauce. Serve over toast or mixed with hot, cooked macaroni or cooked vegetables.
Cook according to directions for Magic White Sauce. Season as desired.
Makes three servings.
Per serving: 183 calories, 25g carbohydrate, 4g fat, 0.4g fiber and 453mg sodium
Chicken or Turkey Florentine
2 c. cooked, drained, chopped spinach or other cooked or canned vegetables
2 c. cooked, cubed chicken or turkey
1 recipe Magic White Sauce
1/2 tsp. instant chicken bouillon
Paprika
Place spinach in greased 9-inch pie plate or shallow baking pan. Arrange chicken over the vegetable. Mix the white sauce with the instant chicken bouillon and pour over all. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake in 325 F oven for 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.
Makes four servings.
Per serving: 321 calories, 24g carbohydrate, 3.7g fat, 2.7g fiber and 1,920mg sodium
Making Cream Soup
To make cream soup, add 1 cup (or more) cooked vegetables (mashed or diced) or flaked fish to one recipe of Magic White Sauce. Season as desired. Heat to boiling.
Makes four servings.
Try these ideas. Add about 1 cup of the following main ingredients to one recipe of Magic White Sauce. If it gets too thick, add some milk.
Corn Soup: Add canned corn to Magic White Sauce. Season with chopped and cooked onion or onion salt if desired.
Potato Soup: Add mashed potato to Magic White Sauce. Season with minced onion. If soup is too thick, add extra milk.
Spinach Soup: Use leftover cooked, canned, frozen or chopped spinach. Strain vegetable after cooking. Add to Magic White Sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Pea Soup: Use cooked or canned peas. Strain vegetables if desired. Add to white sauce and season with salt and pepper. Make Magic White Sauce with juice from peas instead of water.
Fish Soup: Flake canned salmon or leftover fish. (Use liquid from salmon to make Magic White Sauce.) Add fish to Magic White Sauce. Season with onion or onion salt.
For more information about nutrition and food safety, visit www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/food.htm.
FN-w622, September 2005
County Commissions, North Dakota State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. North Dakota State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, Vietnam Era Veterans status, sexual orientation, marital status, or public assistance status. Direct inquiries to the Executive Director and Chief Diversity Officer, 202 Old Main, (701) 231-7708. This publication will be made available in alternative formats for people with disabilities upon request, 701 231-7881.
Information for Prospective Students
NDSU is an equal opportunity institution
This information may be copied for noncommercial, educational purposes in its entirety with no changes.
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fnw620w.htm
Making Magic Mixes:
Cornmeal Master Mix
FN-w620, September 2005
Compiled by
Julie Garden-Robinson, food and nutrition specialist;
Bridget Curley, program assistant; and
Tera Sandvik, project coordinator.
Click here for an Adobe Acrobat PDF file suitable for printing. (63KB)
Wish you had time to whip up a batch of corn muffins to go with the steaming hot chili you are serving for dinner? Now you can. Make a batch of Cornmeal Master Mix and you’ll be able to make cornbread or corn muffins quickly and at a lower cost than store-bought mixes.
Cornmeal Master Mix uses common household ingredients such as cornmeal, flour and nonfat dry milk. Always use good-quality ingredients and measure carefully when making a mix. To save money, shop for ingredients when they are on sale, and label ingredients with the date of purchase.
Cornmeal Master Mix
7 c. cornmeal
2 c. unsifted regular flour
4 Tbsp. baking powder
1a c. nonfat dry milk
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. shortening
Combine all dry ingredients and stir carefully to blend. Add shortening and use a fork, two knives or a pastry blender to blend the shortening into dry ingredients. The mixture should look like cornmeal. Label with date and store in a covered container in a cool, dry place (or in the refrigerator) for up to eight weeks.
Yield: 14 cups
Oven Cornbread
2 c. Cornbread Master Mix
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. water
Preheat oven to 400 F. Measure Cornbread Master Mix into bowl. Combine eggs and water in large measuring cup. Pour 1/2 cup water-egg mixture over mix and stir to blend. Add remaining 1/2 cup water-egg mixture and beat until smooth. Pour into a well-greased 8-by-8-inch pan or a 10-inch iron skillet. Bake in 400 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
Makes eight servings.
Per serving: 136 calories, 19g carbohydrate, 5.3g fat, 1.6g fiber and 269mg sodium
Tip: For variety, add these ingredients:
Harvest-Corn Squares:
Add 2 Tbsp. sugar and 3/4 cup diced apples to Cornbread Master Mix.
Onion-Cheese Cornbread:
Add a cup chopped onion and ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese to Cornbread Master Mix.
Corn Muffins
2 c. Cornmeal Master Mix
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. water
1 Tbsp. melted shortening or margarine
Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine Cornmeal Master Mix and sugar in bowl. Combine eggs, water and shortening in separate bowl. Pour half of liquid into mix; blend. Add rest of liquid and beat. Fill greased muffin tins two-thirds full and bake for 20 minutes.
Makes 12 servings.
Per serving: 136 calories, 19g carbohydrate, 5g fat, 1.6g fiber and 269mg sodium
Tip: For variety, add b cup well-drained canned corn or increase sugar to 1/4 cup and add 1/2 cup favorite fruit or nuts.
Quick Drop Biscuits
2 c. Cornmeal Master Mix
1/2 c. water
Preheat oven to 425 F. Add water to the cornmeal mix and stir only enough to mix. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased pan. Bake for 12 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.
Tip: Cornbread goes great with chili. Serve Quick and Easy Chili with cornbread or corn muffins for a meal your family will love.
Menu Idea
Quick and Easy Chili
Carrot sticks
Cornbread
Baked apples
Low-fat milk
Quick and Easy Chili
3 c. cooked or canned pinto or red beans
1 1/2 lb. lean hamburger
3 (8-oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. oregano
Sauté hamburger and chopped onion; drain. Add to beans with spices, garlic and tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer one hour or until heated and flavors blend.
Makes eight servings.
Per serving: 213 calories, 22g carbohydrate, 4g fat, 7.5g fiber and 575mg sodium
For more information about nutrition and food safety, visit www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/food.htm.
FN-w620, September 2005
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fn623w.htm
Making Magic Mixes:
Rolled Oats Master Mix
FN-w623, September 2003
Compiled by
Julie Garden-Robinson, food and nutrition specialist;
Bridget Curley, program assistant; and
Tera Sandvik, project coordinator
Click here for an Adobe Acrobat PDF file suitable for printing. (61KB)
Do you like to save time, money and energy? Preparing mixes for future use when you have a little time can make meal preparation quick and easy. The mix featured in this handout uses common household ingredients such as rolled oats, a good source of fiber.
Always use good-quality ingredients and measure carefully when making a mix. To save money, shop for ingredients when they are on sale. Label ingredients with the date of purchase.
Rolled Oats Master Mix
4 c. all-purpose flour
4 c. quick-cooking oats (not instant)
1 1/2 c. nonfat dry milk
1/4 c. double-acting baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. shortening
Put all ingredients except shortening in large plastic container; stir until well blended. Cut in shortening with a fork or pastry blender. Cover tightly, label with date and refrigerate. This mix will keep one month. To measure, spoon into cup, tap lightly and level off with a knife.
Yield: 10 cups
Oat Muffins
2 1/4 c. Rolled Oats Master Mix
1/2 c. raisins or other dried fruit or chopped nuts (optional)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2/3 c. water
1 egg, beaten
Put ingredients in bowl and stir just to moisten. Spoon into 12 greased 2 1/2-inch muffin cups. Bake in preheated 425 F oven for 20 minutes.
Makes 12 servings.
Per serving: 159 calories, 21g carbohydrate, 7g fat, 1.3g fiber and 230mg sodium
Oat-Raisin Cookies
1 egg beaten
1/4 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. Rolled Oats Master Mix
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. raisins
Beat egg, water, sugar and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 375 F oven 12 to 15 minutes.
Makes 24 cookies.
Per cookie: 93 calories, 14g carbohydrate, 3.6g fat, 0.7g fiber and 115mg sodium
Buttered Oat Bread Sticks
2 c. Rolled Oats Master Mix
1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. water
Put butter in 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan and melt in oven while preheating to 450 F. Put mix in bowl and add ½ cup water or just enough to hold ingredients together, mixing lightly with fork. Roll out on lightly floured surface to form 10-by-6-inch rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half in six crosswise strips. Using fork, dip each strip in butter, coating both sides; leave strips in pan. Arrange evenly and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until done. Serve hot.
Makes 12 servings.
Per serving: 145 calories, 11g carbohydrate, 10g fat, 0.8g fiber and 213mg sodium
Oat Pancakes
1 1/2 c. Rolled Oats Master Mix
1 egg
1 c. water
Stir all ingredients in bowl with spoon until blended. Bake on greased hot griddle or in skillet until browned on both sides and done in middle.
Makes 12 servings.
Per serving: 82 calories, 8.4g carbohydrate, 4.4g fat, 0.6g fiber and 139mg sodium
For more information about nutrition and food safety, visit www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/food.htm.
FN-w623, September 2003
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fn621w.htm
Making Magic Mixes:
Meat Mixes
FN-w621, September 2005
Compiled by
Julie Garden-Robinson, food and nutrition specialist;
Bridget Curley, program assistant; and
Tera Sandvik, project coordinator
Click here for an Adobe Acrobat PDF file suitable for printing. (78KB)
Homemade mixes can save time and money. You can make meat mixes ahead of time and freeze them for future use in spaghetti, casseroles and tacos. Adding ingredients such as onions and celery improves flavor and nutrition. To stretch your budget, shop for ingredients when they are on sale. Label with date of purchase.
Follow these tips to keep food safe for you and your family:
* Always wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
* Don’t cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish and their juices away from other food in your grocery cart and at home.
* Thaw meat safely. Be sure thawing meat juices do not drip on other food. Meat may be thawed in the microwave oven but it should be cooked immediately after being thawed.
* Cook to safe internal temperatures. Use a food thermometer to measure the temperature. Casseroles containing ground beef should reach an internal temperature of at least 165 F.
* Hold cooked food at 140 F or warmer.
* Do not leave perishable food out more than two hours at room temperature (one hour when the temperature is above 90 F).
* Discard any food left out at room temperature for more than two hours (one hour if the temperature was above 90 F).
* Place food into shallow containers and immediately put in the refrigerator or freezer for rapid cooling.
* Use cooked leftovers within four days.
Basic Meat Mix
(precooked meat)
Yield: Five packages
Serving: 2 cups in each package
5 lb. lean ground meat
2 medium onions, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. pepper
Per 4-ounce serving: 117 calories, 1.3g carbohydrate, 3.9g fat, 0.3g fiber and 60mg sodium
Stovetop
1. Brown ground meat and onions in a large skillet or pot. Drain fat.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
Microwave
1. Combine onions and crumbled ground meat in a microwave-safe 5-quart casserole dish. Cover.
2. Microwave on HIGH 14 to 16 minutes, stirring two or three times.
3. Drain fat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover.
4. Microwave on HIGH five to eight minutes.
To Freeze
1. Divide cooked mixture into five containers or freezer bags (approximately 2 cups each). Cover. Label with date and freeze. If using freezer bags, remove air from bags, seal, press flat and freeze. For best quality, use frozen ground beef within three to four months.
To Defrost
1. Place one package Basic Meat Mix in appropriate container or pan.
• Microwave until defrosted (stir frequently and break apart with a fork once or twice).
• On stovetop, heat on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes before continuing with recipe.
• Defrost meat in refrigerator overnight.
Tip: You can use this mix in any recipe calling for cooked hamburger.
Easy Stroganoff
1 pkg. Basic Meat Mix, defrosted
1 (4-oz.) can mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. reduced fat sour cream (optional)
4 c. cooked noodles
Microwave
1. In a 1 1/2-quart microwave-safe dish, combine Basic Meat Mix, mushrooms and can of mushroom soup.
2. Microwave on HIGH three to six minutes until mixture reaches a temperature of 165 F.
3. Stir in sour cream (if using). If necessary, microwave on HIGH 1/2 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.
4. Serve over noodles.
Stovetop
1. Heat Basic Meat Mix, mushrooms and can of mushroom soup in a medium saucepan.
2. Heat and stir until sauce is thick and reaches a temperature of 165 F. Stir in sour cream (if using).
3. Serve over noodles.
Makes four servings.
Per serving: 450 calories, 53g carbohydrate, 12g fat, 3.4g fiber and 782mg sodium
Enchilada Casserole
1 pkg. Basic Meat Mix
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce or 1 (15-oz.) can chopped tomatoes
1 (15-oz.) can drained and rinsed pinto or black beans (optional)
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Mix Basic Meat Mix, water, chili powder, tomatoes and beans (if using) in medium pot. Heat to 165 F. Put four corn tortillas into 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Pour half of meat mixture and half of cheese on top of tortillas. Top with four more tortillas, remaining meat mixture and remaining cheese. Bake at 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes.
Makes four servings.
Per serving: 535 calories, 48g carbohydrate, 19g fat, 9g fiber and 994mg sodium
Chili
1 pkg. Basic Meat Mix
2 (15-oz.) can tomatoes
1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. chili powder
Mix all ingredients. Microwave 10 minutes in a microwave-safe dish or cook on stovetop in large pot for 30 minutes or until it reaches 165 F.
Makes four servings.
Per serving: 294 calories, 31g carbohydrate, 4.8g fat, 8.3g fiber and 530mg sodium
Rice Casserole
1 pkg. Basic Meat Mix
2 c. cooked white or brown rice
1 can whole-kernel corn, drained
Mix all ingredients. Heat thoroughly on stovetop in a medium pan, in microwave in a microwave-safe dish, or in oven in an 8-by-8-inch pan until it reaches 165 F. Top with shredded cheese, if desired.
Makes four servings.
Per serving: 324 calories, 36g carbohydrate, 6.3g fat, 4g fiber and 361mg sodium
Sloppy Joes
1 pkg. Basic Meat Mix
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
4 hamburger buns
Mix Basic Meat Mix and tomato sauce in medium pan. Heat thoroughly to an internal temper-ature of at least 165 F. Serve on hamburger buns.
Makes four servings.
Per serving: 272 calories, 25.5g carbohydrate, 6.5g fat, 1.6g fiber and 537mg sodium
Spaghetti Sauce
1 pkg. Basic Meat Mix
2 (8-oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Mix all ingredients in a medium pan. Heat thoroughly to an internal temperature of at least 165 F and serve with any type of pasta.
Makes four servings.
Per serving: 170 calories, 7.4g carbohydrate, 4.9g fat, 1.2g fiber and 623mg sodium
Tip: You also may add the Basic Meat Mix to your favorite spaghetti sauce.
Tacos
1 pkg. Basic Meat Mix
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
8 (5-inch) hard taco shells
Mix all ingredients. Heat thoroughly. Spread into a taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, shredded cheese or other toppings.
Makes four servings.
Per serving: 205 calories, 11g carbohydrate, 8g fat, 1.5g fiber and 173mg sodium
Tip: You can use one package of taco seasoning in place of chili powder and cumin.
Basic Meat Mix II
(Uncooked)
3/4 c. nonfat dry milk
1 c. uncooked quick oats
1 c. tomato juice
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 lb. ground meat
1. In a large bowl, mix together dry milk powder and oatmeal. Add tomato juice; mix well.
2. Add onion, salt, pepper and ground meat.
3. Shape into hamburger patties (put wax paper between patties), meatballs or meatloaf before freezing.
Per 4-ounce serving: 131 calories, 8.4g carbohydrate, 3.5g fat, 0.8g fiber and 296mg sodium
To make a meatloaf
1. Defrost Basic Meat Mix II meatloaf in refrigerator overnight.
2. Top with tomato sauce or ketchup.
3. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes to an internal temperature of at least 165 F.
To make meatballs
1. Defrost Basic Meat Mix II in refrigerator overnight.
2. Shape into balls if not already made.
3. Cook in medium skillet over medium heat for 10 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 F. You also can cook the recipe in an oven at 350 F for 30 minutes.
4. To save time, you can freeze leftovers in meal-size containers.
To make Salisbury steaks
1. Defrost Basic Meat Mix II patties in refrigerator overnight.
2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook to an internal temperature of 165 F.
3. Top with cream soup or gravy.
Source: Some recipes were from Montana State University, www.montana.edu/nep/recipes.htm.
For more information about nutrition and food safety, visit www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/food.htm.
FN-w621, September 2005
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/2003/103003/03prairi.htm
Prairie Fare: Healthy Eating as We Get Older
By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service
The other day I was watching my older brother and sister play with my young children just as our aunts and uncles played with us as children. Looking back, we always thought of our aunts and uncles as “old.”
As I watched my siblings, I came to a realization: we are the same ages our aunts and uncles were when they played with us.
Getting older means that natural changes are continuing to occur to our bodies. The extent of the changes due to aging varies widely from person to person, but the senses — vision, smell, taste, touch and hearing — are often affected.
Overall these changes can affect daily activities and nutrition. For example, vision often worsens, and arms aren’t quite “long enough” to position newspapers to the point where they can be easily read. Reading recipes, food prices or food labels can become more difficult, too.
As we age, our sense of smell declines and the number of taste buds often decreases. Food may not smell or taste the way it “used to.” If teeth are lost, chewing can become more difficult. Our sense of thirst can diminish over time due to medications being taken, putting us at risk of dehydration.
While I’ve just painted a somewhat glum scenario, healthy eating habits and regular physical activity as we age can help keep us healthy. Overall we need fewer calories as we get older, but those calories need to be from “nutrient dense” foods. These are some of the nutrients of concern as we age:
* Calcium is needed to maintain bone health, but it also plays a role in heart health and reducing our risk for colon cancer. Osteoporosis, the condition of weakened, fragile bones, affects both women and men. Eating at least three servings of calcium-rich foods such milk, cheese and yogurt goes a long way in meeting the 1,000-milligram daily recommendation for adults age 19 to 50 and the 1,200-milligram-per-day recommendation for adults age 51 and up. Broccoli, pinto beans and fortified juice and cereal are other calcium-containing foods.
* Vitamin D goes hand in hand with calcium in maintaining strong bones. A chemical in the skin can be converted to active vitamin D by sunlight, but depending on the sun for vitamin D gets tricky in cold climates. It’s a good thing milk is fortified with vitamin D. If you’re not a milk drinker, be sure any calcium supplements or calcium-fortified foods you eat also contain vitamin D.
* Fiber is a mainstay in maintaining good digestive function and helping to maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels. The goal is to eat 20 to 35 grams of fiber daily. Whole grain foods like oatmeal and whole wheat bread and fruits and vegetables provide dietary fiber. Look for “whole wheat” or “whole grain” as one of the first ingredients on a food ingredient label, and read nutrition facts labels for fiber content.
* Ample fluids are needed daily even if you don’t feel “thirsty.” When you’re thirsty, you’re already partly dehydrated. Aim for eight cups of fluids daily. Any kind of fluid is hydrating, but some of the best choices are water, 100 percent fruit juice, milk, soups and fruits.
Here’s a high-calcium, hydrating beverage that contains some fiber. It’s quite tasty, too.
Fruit and Pudding Milk Mixer
4 cups low-fat milk
1 package (4 servings) instant pudding
1 banana
1/2 cup strawberries
Directions: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth,
Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains 225 calories, 1 gram fat, 47 grams carbohydrate, 1.2 grams fiber and 300 milligrams calcium.
###
Source: Julie Garden-Robinson,
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/2006/041306/03prairi.htm
Here’s a tasty snack to enjoy before or after a brisk walk. Visit the NDSU Extension Service Web site at www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/food.htm for more information.
Three-grain Peanut Bread
1 c. flour
1/2 c. quick cooking oatmeal
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. dry nonfat milk powder
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. peanut butter
1 egg white
1 1/2 c. nonfat milk
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Using two knives or a fork, cut peanut butter into dry ingredients until the mixture appears coarse and crumbly. In a small bowl, beat together the egg white and milk. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Spread mixture into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan.
Makes 20 servings. Each serving has 130 calories, 5 grams of fat and 17 grams of carbohydrate.
###
Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/2006/090706/03prairi.htm
Prairie Fare: Snacks Can Fill Nutrition Gaps
By Julie Garden-Robinson,
Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service
Julie Garden-Robinson
Click here for a higher
resolution photo.
(1,870Kb jpg)
I was reaching for a can of vegetables for dinner from my basement food pantry the other day when I noticed an opened cracker box lying on its side. I picked it up and looked inside. I could have guessed what I’d find.
The box had a few crumbs in the bottom. The crackers had been in the house less than 24 hours.
“Those crackers were just so good!” my preteen, growing boy said a little sheepishly when I glanced in his direction as I brought the empty box to the trash container in the kitchen.
The next day I found a second box of crackers, with a few crackers remaining. They had a little restraint today, I thought to myself. I think my daughter helped eat the contents of the second box, because both kids grinned when I set the second box on the kitchen counter.
All this snacking made me wonder if they were eating anything at school.
“Are you eating your school lunch? How about your school snacks? Are you going to eat your dinner now?” I asked the questions in my best “mom voice.” They dutifully nodded three times.
I sliced a seedless watermelon and left it in the refrigerator to see if my “stealth eaters” would attack that. So far, they’ve eaten about 3 pounds of watermelon in less than two days.
Kids need snacks. Snacks are minimeals that keep children and adults fueled for school or work. Children’s stomachs are smaller, so they need to eat more frequently. When children are going through a growth spurt, their energy needs increase, too. Eating smaller, more frequent meals is a good idea for adults, too.
Snacks can help fill nutrition gaps and add variety to your diet. To encourage eating fruit, leave a bowl of whole, washed fruit, such as apples or bananas, on the counter or sliced fruit in the refrigerator. Provide snacks that feature two or more different food groups, such as whole grain crackers and cheese, fruit and yogurt, or trail mix with cereal, dried fruit and nuts.
If you’re buying premade snacks, compare Nutrition Facts labels. What is the calorie content compared with the serving size? Does the snack contain saturated fat and trans fat? These aren’t heart-healthy. Is there any fiber?
If you’re buying a large box, place individual portions in plastic bags. Compare “Percent Daily Value.” A food product with 5 percent or less of the daily value is considered “low” in that nutrient. A food product with 20 percent or more of the daily value is considered “high” in that nutrient.
How about making home-made fruit leather snacks? Be creative with the ingredients and invite kids into the kitchen. These directions were adapted from a publication by the Colorado State University Extension Service.
Home-made Fruit Leather
Ingredients:
2 c. pureed fruit of choice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (or spice of choice)
1 – 2 Tbsp. sugar, corn syrup or honey (optional)
Quick directions: Thoroughly drain canned fruit, such as peaches or pears, and blend in blender, or use applesauce or pureed baby food. Proceed to drying instructions.
Fresh fruit directions: Wash and peel fruits (such as apples, peaches and pears). Remove seeds and pits. Cut fruit into chunks and place in the top of a double boiler. Place water in the bottom and bring to a boil. Cover and steam for 15 to 20 minutes or until the fruit is soft and the thermometer placed in the fruit mixture registers at 160 F. The fruit mixture also may be cooked in a microwave oven by placing the cut fruit in a glass casserole. Cover and microwave on high for six to eight minutes per two cups of fruit, stirring every two minutes. Place cooked fruit in blender. Add 1/2 teaspoon of ascorbic acid crystals or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per 2 cups of fruit to protect the color and help destroy bacteria during drying. If desired, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar, corn syrup or honey per 2 cups of fruit. Add spice if desired.
Drying instructions: Spray a cookie sheet with vegetable spray or line with plastic wrap. Make sure the sheet has an edge to prevent spillage of the puree. Spread the fruit concentrate evenly over the pan surface to a depth of 1/8- to 1/4-inch. Use two cups per 12- by 17-inch cookie sheet.
Dehydrator drying: Use manufacturer’s directions.
Oven drying: Set oven at lowest setting (140 F). Place the tray on the oven rack and leave the door open 2 to 6 inches. Check the oven temperature with a thermometer to be sure the air temperature is at the desired level. If necessary, turn off the oven for a short time to reduce the temperature. The drying time varies from four to 10 hours. Leather should be translucent and slightly tacky, but easily peeled from the pan or plastic wrap. Lift the edge and peel a few inches. If it peels readily, it is properly dried. If the leather has not dried long enough, mold may grow during airtight storage. If it cracks or chips, it has dried too long, but is edible. Store in one piece or cut in 1-inch strips. Place in plastic bags, glass container or other container, but don’t tighten cover or twist tightly. Nutrition content varies depending on your addition of a sweetener. A 1- by 17-inch strip of canned applesauce leather has 40 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrate.
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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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