tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62837596589437481332024-03-13T11:00:38.670-07:00The Traditional Food ChallengeHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18233228724378020273noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-8507837983379824962009-06-25T16:52:00.000-07:002009-07-01T06:57:16.290-07:00Indian Food is the Best!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SkUUpLWD2nI/AAAAAAAAEv8/TB7l6VZfBgk/s1600-h/indian-ghee.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351706429852211826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 290px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SkUUpLWD2nI/AAAAAAAAEv8/TB7l6VZfBgk/s400/indian-ghee.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;"><div style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 100% Georgia, serif; WIDTH: auto; PADDING-TOP: 3px; TEXT-ALIGN: left; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px">Hi to all of our great readers! I'm Heather - the other half of this little corner of the blogging world. You haven't heard from me in a while - but a big thanks to Nicole for doing so many great posts in the recent weeks! I haven't been up for blogging lately - since my husband and I found out that we are expecting our first baby in January of next year... to tell you the truth, not a lot of food has sounded terribly good to me lately. I think things are starting to change though - our baby is half Indian (my husband is from India) and I think he or she is ready for some yummy Indian food made the traditional way! <div><br /></div><div>I thought that I'd start with a basic of Indian cooking. You've probably heard of ghee (clarified butter) - but do you know the traditions and health benefits behind it? Have you ever tried making it from scratch? If you want to find out... keep reading!</div><div><br /></div><div>Ghee is made by simmering unsalted butter until all the water has boiled away and the milk solids have settled to the bottom. The clarified butter is skimmed off the top and stored in an airtight jar (no need for refrigeration). The milk solids are discarded. Ghee has a higher smoke point than butter, so is widely used for frying/sautéing - when butter would otherwise burn. <span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-size:+0;"> Ghee lacks hydrogenated oils and is a popular choice for health-conscious cooks as well. Also, since all the milk proteins have been removed during the clarifying process, it is lactose free, making it a safer alternative for those who are lactose intolerant.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Ghee in Indian cooking: in many parts of India rice is served with ghee. Indian flat breads, naan and chapatti are brushed with ghee. Many recipes call for cooking curries with ghee as well. Lots of Indian sweets are made with ghee as well - my husband's favorites!</div><div><br /></div><div>Health benefits: Ghee is said to help balance excess stomach acid, and helps aid digestion and maintain/repair the mucus linin<span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-size:+0;">g of the stomach. Ghee has been shown to actually reduce serum cholesterol in several studies. Ghee contains butyric acid, a fatty acid with antiviral and anti-cancer properties. Daily intake of ghee sharpens the intellect, and promotes a clear complexion and voice. It is also said to have anti-aging properties and most of all it doesn't have the free radicals like other hydrogenated oils, which cause heart diseases. People allergic to milk protein can safely cook with pure ghee as the offending proteins are removed during the clarifying process.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse;font-family:arial;font-size:13;" ></span></div><div><br /></div><div>In India, ghee is used for many other purposes other than just cooking, such as: traditional medicine, religious ceremonies and even baby massage!</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are buying store-bought ghee look for a package which says "pure desi ghee" or "cow's ghee" - to avoid buying imitation ghee which has been made from hydrogenated vegetable oils. Or if you are feeling adventurous and want an even more authentic flavor, try making your own ghee!<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a fun video demonstrating how to make ghee (and use the bi-products!):</div><div><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="WHITE-SPACE: pre;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oS9uYroj0LE&hl=" fs="1&rel=" width="560" height="340" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Photo from: </span></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23301754@N03/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Royalty Free Indian Food Images</span></span></a></div></div></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18233228724378020273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-644225991910306612009-06-25T10:14:00.000-07:002009-06-26T12:20:26.133-07:00No more mellow yellow!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SkQIrHLr0kI/AAAAAAAAEq8/JLbSOaxv5vI/s1600-h/farm-fresh-egg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 238px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SkQIrHLr0kI/AAAAAAAAEq8/JLbSOaxv5vI/s400/farm-fresh-egg.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351411793978446402" /></a><br /><div>Do you ever marvel at the bright colors that are naturally occurring in plants and vegetables? I love the vivid hues of beets, the stems and leaves of chard, all the green vegetables, bright yellow corn, dahlias, I could go on and on! The foods that are best for us are so attractively packaged in the most beautiful colors. And because we eat with all of our senses, it makes perfect sense that the first impression we have of a possible food choice be bright, colorful and appetizing. When foods are at peak season they are bright and alive with color. Some of my favorites lately are fresh strawberries and eggs. </div><br /><div>Strawberries are a given - when ripe and fresh they are a gorgeous red throughout (not white in the middle as are often seen in grocery stores when picked too early and shipped from California). They are sweet and juicy. We can't get enough of them right now. Speaking of strawberries, has anyone tried making jam with a natural sweetener? I am hoping to can some jam next week and have only ever used refined white sugar...</div><br /><div>Another food item, when in peak season and fresh that are bright and appealing are eggs! I know maybe I'm weird but there are many bloggers out there touting the benefits free-range eggs and I am one of them!</div><br /><div>After my rant last week about budgets and cost of good food I felt a little guilty. I really want to feed my family good quality food, I don't want to have to make sacrifices. But I have to be realistic and rely on Grace. I may not be able to afford the best of everything but I do what I can and pray that the food we eat would be blessed to those I serve it to.</div><br /><div>So after looking at my food budget I decided I had enough to buy some local eggs at one of my favorite farms. The goat farm as my kids know it as. They also have chicken and turkeys and there are fresh pastured eggs. We go and look at the animals, including the chickens (we stay a little away from the turkeys, they are big and loud!). I bought a dozen eggs (at $4 a dozen, that seems high compared to the grocery store!) and was excited to see what they looked like. I have been buying the organic eggs from Costco and found them to be nice and wanted to compare...</div><br /><div>There is no comparison! The eggs from the farm are colorful (blue, brown, multi-colored, such that my kids call them Easter eggs). They have a nice firm shell and when cracked are a bright yellow-orange yolk with a thick white. I mean they are vivid, eye catching, beautiful yolks. I just want to eat them when I think of the color alone. </div><br /><div>I did a little research to see what makes the color such that it is. The color of the yolk is determined by the hen's diet. Carotenoids in the feed of the hens are stored by healthy hens and them more of these colorful foods with yellow/red pigments in them the brighter the shade of yolk. Here are two sources of good information on eggs and pastured eggs (and meats). <a href="http://www.yellow-egg.com/wEnglish/das_gelbe_im_ei/Der_Eidotter.shtml?navid=18">http://www.yellow-egg.com/wEnglish/das_gelbe_im_ei/Der_Eidotter.shtml?navid=18</a> </div><br /><div><a href="http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm">http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm</a></div><br /><div>So this time of year when pastured chickens are free to be in the sun, eating grass and bugs they produce the most bright, healthy eggs. </div><br /><div>I also learned that although they don't have to label a sell-by date, on eggs that are processed in a USDA inspected plant the sell by date can't exceed 30 days past the pack date. Interesting. One site said eggs can be fine in the refrigerator for about three weeks after they are brought home! I couldn't find any information on how long eggs maintain their nutritional value in the fridge but most sites claim they stay fresh for weeks. </div><br /><div>I may not be able to buy all my eggs at this farm but I will certainly supplement with these and enjoy every bite!</div><br /><div> </div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-3912088334172346452009-06-17T06:50:00.001-07:002009-06-17T19:17:04.326-07:00The 'B' word<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SjmjkeHOvqI/AAAAAAAAEPU/1b8pHPwwZbg/s1600-h/price-of-organic-food.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SjmjkeHOvqI/AAAAAAAAEPU/1b8pHPwwZbg/s320/price-of-organic-food.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348485879433182882" /></a><br /><div>Yes, I'll go there - the BUDGET! I know there seem to be a lot of bloggers who post on this - especially tips on more inexpensive meals and how to cut costs here and there. I devour those articles hoping to find the magic answer to all my problems. Actually one problem. </div><br /><div>Good food costs money!</div><br /><div>When we started our traditional food challenge I was super excited about the new diet, the whole milk, sourdough bread, trying my hand at new recipes and seeing my health improve. I was already cooking from scratch so that wasn't much of a stretch, I just began cooking with better quality ingredients. Which translates for us to a bigger amount of money going towards food. I definitely buy into the value of investing in our bodies and good food does that. However, when there really isn't room to budge in other areas of the budget, what is a family to do? </div><br /><div>We have a family of 5 living on one income with increasingly hungry, growing boys to feed. We live in a part of the country with a fairly high cost of living. My desire is to feed my family wholesome, homemade food that will nourish their bodies and knit our family together. There really is something about sitting around the dinner table as a family that is so precious. This time of year we love to eat outside on our deck where we can just hang out and talk together after dinner. </div><br /><div>So while my style of cooking (from scratch) hasn't changed, the price of ingredients has increased. Eggs, milk, organic fruit and veggies, and meat are the more expensive items on the list and I have been taking measures to ration/get the most bang for my buck with these items. I have increased the legumes in our diet. I have cut back on the baking of sweets. I buy local as often as I can. There are still times however as I pass by the non-organic veggies on sale as I head towards the small, overpriced organic section that I wonder... I know why I choose some things over others but to what extent is this the best use of the money we make? How can I truly feel good about spending more on food when there isn't a lot of money overall to spend?</div><br /><div>The farmers' market is a good place to spend my food money, however how do I know if I am still getting a good value for the product? The rainbow chard I bought this weekend was so beautiful and fresh it was easy to shell out $2 for a bunch - but really? Is that a decent value for a small side dish that my kids will hardly touch?</div><br /><div>We are growing a small garden this year and that helps. Someday I would love to have chickens but that isn't feasible where we are now. </div><br /><div>I guess my struggle comes from aligning my culinary values and tastes with our limited budget. I hope to eat well but not stretch our budget further than it can go. </div><br /><div>So my question is this, what does this ideal actually look like? Do some of you make nutritious sacrifices for the budget or the opposite? Or am I missing the point? What are some great ways to feed a growing family without costing a fortune? </div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-8118576338624892342009-06-15T14:49:00.001-07:002009-06-16T07:01:05.744-07:00In Season: RhubarbI have come to love rhubarb more and more every year. I love the zing that it has and the sweetness of it when cooked and a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">sweetener</span> added. This year I have been lucky enough to get my hands on a lot of rhubarb - my sister in law has a very happy rhubarb patch! So far I have made a rhubarb tart (more like rhubarb meringue pie) that is awesome! <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/alsatian-rhubarb-tart">Here</a> is the link to the recipe(I adapted it a little using honey in the filling and sucanat in the meringue). A couple of batches of rhubarb muffins - one that was sourdough, one just a basic muffin base with rhubarb and strawberry added, stewed rhubarb sweetened with honey, rhubarb chutney (don't really love it and I have a lot of it...), strawberry rhubarb crisp, and a rhubarb syrup.<br />The syrup was made with rhubarb, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">sucanat</span> (natural sugar similar to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">rapadura</span>), and water. When the rhubarb is soft, the liquid is strained and chilled. We made a rhubarb soda by mixing the syrup with club soda and lime! Pretty tasty, but not as clean tasting as it would be if it were made with white sugar, or even brown.<br />I am really enjoying stewed rhubarb which is really simple to make and quite versatile. Simply chop rhubarb, add a touch of water and let it simmer until soft and juicy. When it has cooled stir in enough honey to suite your tastes and keep in the fridge. It is wonderful with yogurt, awesome on <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ice cream</span> and tasty simply as is; like applesauce.<br />I still have some in the fridge - some is destined for a pie as was requested by my husband for Father's Day. The rest is still unaccounted for.<br />What else do you all do with rhubarb?Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-64371944756434176022009-06-10T08:51:00.000-07:002009-06-11T07:32:01.817-07:00Late spring meal<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_e34mzsGX9MA/SjAkNWOw4nI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/a_ITlojWyOo/s1600-h/food+pics.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345812569413182066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_e34mzsGX9MA/SjAkNWOw4nI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/a_ITlojWyOo/s320/food+pics.jpg" border="0" /></a> I was feeling a little adventurous yesterday with my cooking... I tend to be a by the recipe type cook but I wasn't in the mood for a recipe, I just wanted good food that was simple and no fuss.<br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_e34mzsGX9MA/Si_WgdvzYoI/AAAAAAAABlI/NIuTwn0_-9g/s1600-h/food+pics.jpg"></a></div>This is a simple meal made from delicious local food that I sourced from our area. The egg dish is made with young local leeks that were simmered until soft in salted water then drained and laid on a plate for form a bed for fried eggs. The eggs were topped with shaved parmigiano reggiano (not from out area, unfortunately Italy is not local!) and snipped chives and parsley. It could easily be roasted or grilled asparagus (or boiled but I don't love it as much as the other methods).<br /><br /><br />The salad was baby lettuce topped with sliced organic strawberries, sliced almonds and finely chopped sweet onion. The salad was dressed with a homemade balsamic dressing and was enjoyed by all! Adding a little sweetness to a salad is a great way to get kids to it lettuce! Dinner was served with whole wheat sourdough bread - a no knead recipe I am working on.<br />For dessert I knew I wanted to make a strawberry rhubarb crisp but didn't feel like searching for or trying a new recipe. So I combined a large bowl of chopped rhubarb that was given to me by my sister-in-law, with some organic strawberries that are just beginning to appear near us. I mixed in about 2 Tbsp of arrowroot powder (cornstarch could be substituted) and about a third to a half cup of honey. This was dumped into a square baking dish.<br />Next came the topping. I decided to use nuts instead of oats hoping for a crunchy topping, so dumped in some pecans (maybe 1/2 cup) to a food processor and pulsed to chop. I think I chopped them too finely and next time I will leave some in bigger chunks to add more texture to the topping. Then I added about a cup of whole wheat flour, some cinnamon and allspice* and a pinch of salt. After that mixture was pulsed I added a half cup of butter cut into chunks and pulsed to get a slightly lumped together topping. I spread it over the fruit and baked in a 375degree oven for about 50 minutes. It turned out really well- the rhubarb was yummy and soft yet tart which was really nice with the crunchy topping and creamy ice cream I served it with.<br />*I always add a little of another spice when using cinnamon. While I like cinnamon, I really like it when paired with something like nutmeg, allspice or cloves.<br /><br />All in all it was a successful meal that was born from a desire to use good, flavorful foods prepared simply. I like that kind of cooking and it encouraged me to try cooking as a set of "methods" not only "recipes".<br /><br /><br />What kind of cook are you? A recipe by the pinch or an guess here or there kind?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; moz-background-clip: initial; moz-background-origin: initial; moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-41915330710355528742009-06-08T06:46:00.000-07:002009-06-08T12:22:49.649-07:00Great GrillingSummer has arrived here in the Northwest and when it heats up outside the last thing I want to do is heat up the inside. So I cook outside on the grill. I don't have a fancy gas grill or a a great charcoal one either, just a basic model that has uneven hot spots but gets the job done. I really love grilling and my husband loves to grill as well so it is a great way to have him help me get dinner ready! Here are a few of my tips to making grilling even greater:<br /><ul><li>Get to know your grill. Ours is hottest on the right front side so we know to sear there and move food over when we need less heat.</li><br /><li>When it is too warm to heat the stove or oven inside, try and cook everything you can outside. I cook entire meals on the grill by starting with my veggies - potatoes and corn take longest, then the asparagus and meat. Then the pound cake, just to toast and top with berries and ice cream. Yum. </li><br /><li>Use good tongs. Sometimes those burgers get crazy and want to slip between the grates. A good set of long tongs helps keep them under control.</li><br /><li>After you have finished grilling for tonight's meal, throw something on for tomorrow. This is a great way to cut down prep time for another meal and saves propane as well. For example, I will put some peppers on the grill and char them the night before using them for another recipe. Or I will grill sausage or chicken to go on pizza another night. </li><br /><li>Speaking of pizza - grill it! It is really good grilled, just use a good recipe ( I am loving sourdough crust right now, but any dough with enough rise would be good). Roll it out, slide it on the grill (a pizza peel is helpful or the underside of a cookie sheet). Let puff for a minute or two, then flip. You can either take it off now and top it, putting it back on the grill for another minute to let the cheese melt or try this technique I learned from Mario Batali. Cook your dough a couple minutes on each side until lightly charred and puffed. Take off the grill and carefully slice it in half horizontally not all the way to the end, just so you can open it up like a book. Then top the inside with whatever you want, close the book. Wrap in foil and put it back on the grill until everything is hot and the cheese is melted inside. </li><br /><li>For a side dish, try grilling a head of romaine lettuce, just slightly. Top with homemade Caesar dressing. </li><br /><li>Many people recommend oiling the grates before putting food down which probably works, but I never remember. I drizzle the food with oil along with salt and pepper before putting in on the grill. Another key to not having food stick that works outside or in - don't pull things off the grates or pan that don't want to move. When meat is ready to be flipped, it will lift more easily than if you pull up on it too soon. You'll loose your delicious 'crust' on your meat if you pull too early. </li><br /><li>Invite some friends over, have a nice steak and enjoy the beautiful summer nights while they are here! </li></ul>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-30521887481431863952009-06-02T07:57:00.000-07:002009-06-02T08:32:12.718-07:00The Weight of it AllSorry for our lack of posts for a week or so... Between Heather and I our houses have been in remodel disorder and there have been visitors galore! <br />But, we have not stopped cooking and feeding our families so I wanted to share a couple thoughts with you today about something I have been using a lot lately - a scale.<br />I have always heard that chefs use scales in the kitchen and that their recipes tend to be in ounces/grams because the results are more reliable. However, none of my cookbooks are written this way and even my beloved Food &Wine magazine must convert many of their chef recipes to cups/tbsp. So why did I go buy a cute little digital scale? <br />When I first made my sourdough starter, I found a lot of recipes using cups, however in the instruction for feeding many stated the difference in the weight between flour and water. Therefore if you are feeding your starter the same amount of each, you would use less water than flour to account for this difference. Then I purchased my Camoldoli starter and began looking for information on how to use this unique sourdough. The only places I found it were some very involved pizza making sites. And by involved I mean scientific analysis of the water/flour/starter ratios and hydration percentages and fermentation scrutiny like I had never encountered before. And they all used weights to convey recipes (which are not really recipes but percentages). Anyway, I figured the only way to use any of the information I found online in a reliable manner would be to buy a scale. I had tried to convert the weights with an online converter, however the ingredients are hard to measure objectively and the results weren't great. <br />So off to the stores I went. I searched high and low, looking for a small, hopefully easy to use, reasonably priced scale that would work for bread making. I finally settled on this one from <a href="http://www.target.com/Taylor-Kitchen-Scale-White-lb/dp/B000BH3PE0/sr=1-5/qid=1243956421/ref=sr_1_5/177-9336828-2631631?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&index=target&rh=k%3Akitchen%20scale&page=1">target</a> (although mine is grey) and love it! It is small and fits perfectly in my small kitchen, is very easy to use and read. It can weigh up to 6 pounds which is plenty so far for my needs. And it has made a big difference in my baking. Using a recipe in weights is easier to do than measuring with cups and spoons and while it still takes a little experience to know if the dough looks wet enough, I feel like by measuring weights I am more confident in a recipe. <br />And I find I measure more than just flour and water for breads. I measure a half pound of asparagus for soup, or 2 pounds of potatoes for a salad, 12 ounces of cheese etc... I really love having the convenience of a scale to pull out and make what used to be a guess ("that looks about right") a little more accurate. Not everything needs to be measured, but some ingredients are best closest to what the author of a recipe intended.<br />Now I need to expand my cookbook collection to include some that measure in ounces or grams while being healthy and delicious!<br />Do any of you use a scale?Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-45677862285486372792009-05-22T10:24:00.000-07:002009-05-22T11:00:02.349-07:00My Journey with Yogurt Part 2Okay, I would not have thought myself a novice yogurt maker - just a self-critical one. So when my excitement at finding a culture to make my own Greek yogurt pushed me to buy it I thought I was on to something great! I would be able to recreate the rich, thick, creamy yogurt I would buy in mass amounts if my budget allowed for a fraction of the cost. Well... Here's how it went down.<br /><br />My first culture that arrived turned out to be a dud. Perhaps it was damaged in shipping. More likely the batch was not able to culture properly due to something else. Either way, two failed attempts had me baffled and frustrated. Cultures for Health sent out a replacement batch (I highly recommend this company, great customer service and very helpful!) and I made attempt number three. To start with a dried culture the first batch of yogurt makes one cup. Then a subsequent batch is made with the first and you are on your way.<br /><br />Greek yogurt is one part cream to three parts whole milk (rich and delicious!). This mixture is heated to 160 degrees and then cooled to 110 degrees. Once it is cooled, the dried culture (or 1-2 Tbsp of already made yogurt) are added and mixed thoroughly. The mixture is then put into yogurt containers bound for a yogurt maker or some other devise (a jar over a heating pad, crock pot, low set oven) that will hold 110 for as long as it takes to set. The instructions with my culture said the yogurt should set within 4.5 hours, although the first batch may take longer. My first attempt left me again frustrated when at 4.5 hours it was not set! I left it another couple hours and while it was not firm, I turned off the maker and put the yogurt in the fridge. The next morning the yogurt was definitely thicker than the day before but not as thick as I thought it should. Did I mention I am quite the critic?<br /><br />My next batch turned out thicker than the previous. I left it in the maker for 8 hours (like I was doing with my homemade yogurt previously). The flavor is amazing! It has a rich, sweet flavor that is not at all sour like most store bought yogurts. It has a smooth consistency that I was never able to achieve while using commercial yogurt as a starter. It is still not as thick as I was really hoping but it is not thin. I made a batch using just whole milk and even that is thicker than other yogurts I have made. I hope the continuation of the culture will produce thicker yogurt over time, but I really don't know if that is how it works? I am applying sourdough culture isms to yogurt... Maybe a stretch.<br /><br />Anyway, I am back to eating homemade yogurt almost daily and my one year old is loving it. My husband and kids enjoy it with fruit or honey. It is heavenly with granola and to all of you who have a sweet tooth, I highly recommend trying to adapt your taste buds to yogurt. It is much healthier and very satisfying. And while I am often too critical to feel I have found perfection in my own efforts to reproduce something so lovely as Greek yogurt (or other food icons such as the perfect pizza crust, a lemon cream sauce - you get the idea) I do know I have tapped into a great source for highly nutritious, less expensive, delicious yogurt.Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-68921560679890981382009-05-18T15:37:00.000-07:002009-05-19T22:45:19.427-07:00Check it out!<div>We have been featured over at Nourished Kitchen! I was asked to share my journey into whole foods and you can go see that story <a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/nicole/">here</a>.</div><br /><div>In keeping with the tastiness of Spring vegetables, I will share a favorite recipe of mine that I have been making often every year when asparagus is in season. It is a wonderfully light soup that could be a lunch meal or a wonderful starter for a Spring dinner party.</div><br /><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Asparagus Egg Drop Soup</span></div><br /><div></div><div><ul><li>2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil<br /></li><li>1 onion halved and thinly sliced<br /></li><li>4 cups of chicken stock, preferably homemade<br /></li><li>1/2 pound asparagus trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 inch lengths<br /></li><li>2 eggs<br /></li><li>salt and pepper<br /></li><li>1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano as in original recipe)<br /></li></ul></div><br /><div>In a saucepan heat olive oil and add onions. Cook stirring often until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add asparagus and cook until just crisp-tender 4 minutes or so. </div><br /><div>In a small bowl whisk the eggs together and season with salt and pepper. Slowly and while whisking constantly, add the eggs in a slow stream. The eggs will only take a minute or less to cook in the broth. Season soup with salt and pepper.</div><br /><div>Ladle soup into bowls and top with shaved cheese. </div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Original recipe </span><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/asparagus-egg-drop-soup"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">. </span></div><br /><br /><div>P.S. I haven't forgotten about the ongoing yogurt story - there have been setbacks that I will go into more detail later! </div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-1353145415128763332009-05-13T07:03:00.001-07:002009-05-13T16:04:59.617-07:00Probiotic Hype, My Jouney with Yogurt Part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SgtSE8UKp9I/AAAAAAAAEIY/jaeL6aBHFtY/s1600-h/greek-yogurt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 181px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SgtSE8UKp9I/AAAAAAAAEIY/jaeL6aBHFtY/s320/greek-yogurt.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335448428414150610" /></a><br /><div>I must admit, I do cave into some advertising schemes that seem to have some connection to reality. Yogurt is sort of one. While my tastes have never really fallen for the artificially flavored, too sweet sorts that come in individual containers, I have always had a soft spot for truly rich, creamy, real vanilla or fruit yogurts. And yogurt is definitely marketed! You can't escape the TV commercials or the enormous section of yogurt at the grocery store. </div><br /><div>Probiotics has become a widely used word - do you know what it means? I didn't until I looked up a definition! I thought it was just a marketing word, but really it means "for life" in Greek and is used mainly to refer to live microorganisms (bacteria) that when taken transfer health benefits to the host. Little did I know when I started my quest for real yogurt. </div><br /><div>After reading <em>French Women Don't Get Fat </em>a few years ago, I decided I must try really enjoying yogurt in it's plain, natural state. The author claims that many French women eat yogurt in high amounts and this not only keeps them from craving high sugar treats but also that there is something in the yogurts bacterias that maintain health and digestion. She talks about visiting Greece and sampling delicious creamy goat's milk yogurt. About that time I started reading about Greek yogurt in my foodie magazines and online. I started my quest for good, natural yogurt. My first few experiences with store bought plain yogurt were not all that pleasant. Regardless of whether they were organic, full fat, thick and creamy, they were sour! I had to add a sweetener of some kind. I did learn to enjoy plain yogurt (often strained to achieve ultimate thickness and creaminess) with maple syrup and sliced almonds - definitely better than some varieties for sale in grocery stores but still not plain. </div><br /><div>Then I finally found a store that stocked 'Greek' yogurt. It was love at first bite! So creamy and delicious and best of all not too tart. I quickly jumped on the bandwagon and began enjoying it plain, with granola, fruit and whatever else I could justify it with. The one caveat was that it was really expensive! I believe it is strained, thus producing a more solid yogurt and more for your money than other plain yogurts, but my habit was putting a huge dent in my food budget.</div><br /><div>So I went back to my book that I remembered provided a recipe to make yogurt at home. I tried a few times, mixing in small amounts of store bought yogurt into warmed and then cooled milk only to forget it until 12-24 hours later! Frustrating, and it barely set to a thickness I would call yogurt. </div><br /><div>When my youngest child was beginning to eat solid food, I decided plain yogurt would be a good choice to provide him with good nutrition and calories. I invested in a yogurt maker. The maker incubates the yogurts at 110F for as long as it takes to set the yogurt, about 8-10 hours for thick yogurt. That was last fall and I have been making yogurt at home about every week since then. It is less expensive to make yogurt at home and best of all, I can control what goes into it. </div><br /><div>That said, since learning about the benefits of raw milk - not that I'm there yet- this style of yogurt made at home would damage the raw milk. However, it suits my needs and tastes and I am even more excited since I found a source for 'Greek' yogurt culture! I ordered the packet from <a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/zen/index.php">Cultures for Health </a>and the instructions recommend one part cream to three parts milk! No wonder Greek yogurt is so rich and delicious! Well today I am going to put the starter to the test so check back for the outcome and highlights along the way... </div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-17443038958570288612009-05-06T10:20:00.000-07:002009-05-06T10:23:34.895-07:00The On-Going Change<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SgEy38StGWI/AAAAAAAAEH4/sIkkER_cP4g/s1600-h/stockxpertcom_id13607211_jpg_1e205a74681580392e3f6c80f944fd29.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332599370442152290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SgEy38StGWI/AAAAAAAAEH4/sIkkER_cP4g/s320/stockxpertcom_id13607211_jpg_1e205a74681580392e3f6c80f944fd29.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The number one question I've been getting lately from people who know about our </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Traditional Food Challenge</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is: "So are you still on your diet?" </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I suppose it is a valid question. A "diet" in the traditional sense of the word would imply that it is just for a short time and that sooner or later, we'll fall off the bandwagon - right back to those pop-tarts and frozen burritos! But instead of a diet, what we've been doing is more of a lifestyle change. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So how are we doing? Well, we are still buying as much local, organic, "natural" food as possible. We're still searching out new resources and doing more and more research on the things which are good (and not-so-good) for us. We're still staying away from processed boxed foods and junk food. I still haven't had a pop-tart in over 3 months (woo-hoo!). </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Although I seriously considered buying some "organic" pop-tarts the other day - but you'll be proud of me - I resisted the urge!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">All in all I'd say that we are doing really well. Is there room for improvement? You bet! I want to get more organized and plan meals out each week. I still get caught off guard at the last minute and think, "Oh no, I can't just pop a frozen pizza into the oven - what are we going to eat?!" I want to try out new methods of making tortillas and sourdough bread </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(that's another post, but lets just say that my first try left something to be desired - yikes - don't chip a tooth on that bread!)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We still compromise on a few things here and there, because we don't want to obsess over every little thing. But the goal is to be healthier and still live a full and fun life. The main thing that I am taking away from the first few months of this challenge, is that there's no going back. I can seriously never look at a pop-tart (or a frozen pizza) the same way again. When I see the list of ingredients a mile long, none of which I can pronounce, that once-beautiful-sweet-yummy pop-tart is now somehow less than appetizing...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'll leave you with the list of ingredients on the box of Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-tarts:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;"></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ingredients: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacinamide, Reduced Iron, Thiaimin Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2, Folic Acid), Brown Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Soybean, Cottonseed and Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil With Tbhq and Citric Acid For Freshness), Sugar, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Cracker Meal, Contains Two Percent or less of Salt, Cornstarch, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Cinnamon, Wheat Starch, Gelatin, Caramel Color, Soy Lecithin, Niacinamide, Reduced Iron, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid. less than 0.5G Trans Fat Per Serving.</span></span></blockquote><br /></span></span><div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18233228724378020273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-79413293870214218182009-05-04T07:10:00.000-07:002009-05-04T13:38:54.142-07:00Fat, Fat and more FatI have been stockpiling the fats lately! I didn't mean to really, I just kept seeing things I thought would be good to have on hand. It started with the coconut oil that I ordered online. I bought a gallon size tub a few months ago and it was a great purchase. I use it in cooking, baking, smoothies, chocolate and cosmetics.<br /><br />I have always been a butter is better gal, so I am still purchasing butter, however when we eat it on breads I am buying a better quality (more expensive but more nutritious) kind than when I bake or cook with it. I have to make some compromises for budgets sake. Then the other day while shopping for Indian grocery items, Heather and I found a good deal on ghee - three and a half pounds of it! The wonderful thing about ghee is that it lasts a long time and can withstand higher heat while cooking without burning as butter would. I use that when sauteeing, and making Indian food (yum, more recipes to come!).<br /><br />A week or two later, while at the farmer's market in our area, I found a local source for leaf lard - or pig fat. Even though there are some who don't think pork is a healthy meat, most agree that pork fat is a good fat for cooking and baking. I know my mom made the best pie crust with lard! Unfortunatley the lard you can buy in the stores is shelf stable and has been hydrogenated - boo! So I bought some leaf lard and rendered it myself last week. Really, the whole process was very easy, my only complaint is that I should have bought more lard as the yeild is about 70% and that didn't mean much for me. <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/leaf-lard-C3012">Here</a> is a good resource on rendering lard. I hope I have enough to make some refried beans and a nice crust for strawberry rhubarb pie!<br /><br />I have always had olive oil on hand for salad dressings and some cooking so that is still always on my counter.<br /><br />I thought I had all the bases coverd! Well this weekend my husband came home from a fishing trip with lovely fresh, white fleshed deep sea fish - the kind perfect for fish and chips! The question was, what to fry the battered fish in. I was at our local grocery store, scouring the oil aisle - there are many options yet few. It is vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil and a few miscelaneous ones out there. Previously I had used peanut oil for frying which I quite like and had there been a medium sized bottle I may have gone with that. But instead I settled on a good brand of safflower oil. It is rated for high heat cooking, perfect for frying and it was expeller pressed so it seemed a good option. After a little research it seems safflower oil is still not recommended by the Weston A. Price foundation. 'A' for effort, but 'F' for research before I left the house!<br /><br />So what then should I have used? I suppose beef drippings would have been ideal - I didn't have any on hand...<br /><br />Do any of you fry and if so what oil/fat do you use?Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-72645059021261341992009-04-27T07:07:00.000-07:002009-04-28T10:58:20.605-07:00Always New Information<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SfdDrS7WcqI/AAAAAAAAEGg/XzhEm9PRbAg/s1600-h/agave-syrup-is-bad.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 237px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SfdDrS7WcqI/AAAAAAAAEGg/XzhEm9PRbAg/s320/agave-syrup-is-bad.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329803095110480546" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>I have come to realize that although the diet we follow is called a "traditional" food diet, there is always going to be new theories, discoveries, and information. I just read on a blog I follow that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_syrup">agave syrup</a> is not a good sweetner as it is akin to high fructose corn syrup in its production. I realize this was not a sweetner hailed in Nourishing Traditions or by housewives of generations ago, however it is highly regarded in my health food store and the packaging gives me all the right prodding to purchase the syrup as I would maple syrup or honey. But... I suppose I won't anymore. It is cheaper than honey and maple syrup but I think it is one of those fads that will come and go like so many food choices. Back to the foods that my great grandmother would actually recognize! </div><br /><div>In other news, I have a few to-do projects on my list this week, including rendering pork leaf lard! I saw a post on this recently and have been looking for lard for a couple of months now. I finally found some at a Farmer's Market and am looking forward to trying it. I just hope I don't burn it and end up with bacon smelling cooking fat. </div><br /><div>Also, my sister-in-law gave me two shopping bags of cut rhubarb. We love rhubarb but I have always added a lot of sugar to it to sweeten and use in pies, custards, compotes. This Spring I am on a hunt for a delicious more natural option for our love of rhubarb. If anyone has some suggestions, I'd love to hear them... </div><br /><div> </div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-85565118444595695312009-04-22T06:45:00.000-07:002009-04-22T22:14:35.330-07:00Spring Salads<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/Se_5NI6VKaI/AAAAAAAAEEI/bwmqbVE8PKs/s1600-h/salad-organic-recipes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 246px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/Se_5NI6VKaI/AAAAAAAAEEI/bwmqbVE8PKs/s400/salad-organic-recipes.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327750888328341922" /></a><br /><div>It is finally feeling like spring here in the Northwest. When the sun comes out, it is beautiful and I can't help but think of all the delicious produce that will soon be growing in our area. A good Spring vegetable option is salad. Whether you grow your own lettuce as I am hoping to do this season, or pick up some organic salad leaves, as I do during the winter, there are endless ideas for dressing up a bowl of salad. </div><br /><div>I have been making my own dressings for a long time and there aren't many differences now that I am following the Weston A. Price principles. The main difference is the type of vinegar used. I am a fan of many types of vinegars, depending on the style of dressing I am making, but I have been opting for raw, unpasteurized red wine vinegar more and more lately. It is full of good enzymes and the flavor is a nice pairing with many ingredients. Here are a few of my favorite vinaigrette style dressings. While I have written them as recipes, I don't always measure for dressings. I go by the 1 part vinegar/lemon juice to 2-3 parts oil in most cases. This first dressing is an exception because of the creaminess of the cheese. </div><br /><div><strong></strong></div><blockquote><div><strong>Blue Cheese Vinaigrette:</strong></div><br /><div>1/4 cup raw red wine vinegar</div><br /><div>1/2 tsp dried oregano </div><br /><div>1 tsp rapadura or sucanat</div><br /><div>Whisk these ingredients together until sweetener has dissolved and season with salt and pepper</div><br /><div>Slowly whisk in,</div><br /><div>1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil</div><br /><div>Stir in,</div><br /><div>1/4 - 1/2 cup imported crumbled raw blue/Roquefort cheese</div><br /><div>Pour onto a crisp salad of romaine lettuce and enjoy! </div><div><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Caesar Dressing:</strong></div><br /><div>I have always made this as a vinaigrette without the raw egg because I am too chicken... But since trying it with a local, fresh egg, I am converted. It is delicious!</div><br /><div>1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (maybe I add more, I don't really measure)</div><br /><div>1/2-1 tsp Dijon mustard</div><br /><div>1/2-1 tsp anchovy paste</div><br /><div>1 garlic clove</div><br /><div>1 egg yolk</div><br /><div>1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil</div><br /><div>salt and freshly ground pepper</div><br /><div>blend all ingredients in a food processor/blender until smooth. Pour over crisp salad and add lots of imported Parmesan cheese and croutons if desired.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Bacon Lettuce Tomato Salad:</strong></div><br /><div>This is a favorite for us, often it serves as a main meal salad. You have to get over the fat is bad idea to enjoy it fully!</div><br /><div>1-2 cups of bread, cut in cubes</div><br /><div>4-6 slices uncured bacon</div><br /><div>2-3 Tblsp raw red wine vinegar</div><br /><div>1/4 cup olive oil</div><br /><div>1/4-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard</div><br /><div>salt and freshly ground pepper</div><br /><div>Cook bacon slices in a heavy skillet over medium heat until desired crispness. Leave fat in the skillet and add bread cubes. Cook, stirring until browned and toasty. </div><br /><div>In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over crisp salad greens of choice and add bacon croutons. Crumble cooked bacon over salad and add chopped or sliced tomatoes and avocado slices, red onion slices if desired.</div></blockquote><div> </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>So there are few more involved salads that I make. Often times, however I simply toss salad leaves with oil and vinegar and add slivered almonds, cheese and dried fruit. Any vinaigrette's can be dressed up with fresh or dried herbs, different types of oils - cold expeller pressed nut oils, flax oil for example. </div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-58179103782246592902009-04-20T14:41:00.000-07:002009-04-20T14:56:08.851-07:00"Natural" Pepsi?<div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SezsOnNj5fI/AAAAAAAAEDo/oavTp-cdYjc/s400/photo.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326892195060639218" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Look what we found in our last Costco trip! "Natural" Pepsi! We didn't buy any - I actually have only had one soft drink in the past two months (and I'm not really missing it that much either!) But my husband is quite the Pepsi drinker and I thought this might be a good alternative for him (even though I'm trying to get him to cut back also!). If we pay a dollar (or so) a bottle, maybe he'd make them last longer!</div><div><br /></div><div>We also made a trip into Canada the other day (since we live really close to the border) and I did pick up some Canadian Pepsi - because they don't use high fructose corn syrup in their drinks - they still use good, 'ol fashioned sugar! </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a little more info about Natural Pepsi:</div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 11px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"></span></p><blockquote><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pepsi claims the new drink is made from natural ingredients and contains no artificial preservatives, colours, flavourings or sweeteners and that by replacing corn syrup with cane sugar, it has managed to reduce the calorie content of a 300ml bottle from around 120 calories to around 90 calories.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The drink apple extract, plain caramel colouring, coffee leaf, tantaric acid from grapes, gum arabic from acacia trees, cane sugar and sparkling water. It is paler in colour and less fizzy than other cola brands. For the rest of the article </span><a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article3353735.ece"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">click here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pepsi Natural, a premium cola made with sugar, natural caramel and kola nut extract, will be sold in glass bottles in the premium or natural food aisles of stores in 10 markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span id="midArticle_2"></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Pepsi and Mountain Dew Throwback drinks will be sweetened with natural sugar and will feature retro-looking packaging reminiscent of the 1960's and 70s. For the rest of the article, </span><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN0533164220090305"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">click here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></p><p></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></p></blockquote><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.2em; "><br /></p></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18233228724378020273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-37809853038988078112009-04-13T07:20:00.000-07:002009-04-13T11:24:41.681-07:00Happy Easter!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SeODUirtB2I/AAAAAAAAECw/aEtaRBRVMjM/s1600-h/easter-eggs-diet-chocolate.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 207px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SeODUirtB2I/AAAAAAAAECw/aEtaRBRVMjM/s320/easter-eggs-diet-chocolate.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324243573412792162" /></a><br /><div>I hope everyone had a nice weekend, and enjoyed their Easter festivities. It was raining where we live, however we had a great day and it was wonderful to spend the day with friends and family. </div><br /><div>While we value the time we can fellowship with others, it can also be tricky to navigate when following a "diet". I know the Weston A. Price diet is different than most, but it when eating with others who eat a regular American diet, it can be hard. But since yesterday was Easter I knew it was time to loosen my standards a little and enjoy the day with those who had toiled in the kitchen to make food that would be enjoyed by all. I guess you could say I fell off the bandwagon for a day... And while I sometimes questioned what was in the dish I was eating, I knew the person had made it with love, and I enjoyed every bite! Some days you just have to do that. Put people before food. Relationships are important and when we went to my in-laws later that day, I wanted to appreciate the food and not criticize it. Sure, I put my two cents in when asked about a particular food choice I make, but most of all I wanted to enjoy the evening and put the family first. </div><br /><div>Today though, we are back to some soaked oatmeal, and nourishing foods! I had my fill of too sweet deserts and am ready to get back to some nourishing meals! How about everyone else, do you stick to your food principles strictly on holidays or are you lenient? </div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-54177349229445116152009-04-08T08:24:00.000-07:002009-04-08T16:48:53.405-07:00What's the deal with Sourdough?<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_e34mzsGX9MA/Sd03fCBy-9I/AAAAAAAABWg/yhIXreQqpx4/s1600-h/DSCN0126.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322471340881673170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_e34mzsGX9MA/Sd03fCBy-9I/AAAAAAAABWg/yhIXreQqpx4/s320/DSCN0126.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>So this post is both for you all as well as myself. I have been making sourdough for the last few weeks and am enjoying the challenges and taste, but must admit I hadn't really researched the reasons a lot of nourishing food enthusiasts choose sourdough. So here goes...</div><br /><div>A few points I have come across include these positive elements of sourdough breads;</div><br /><ul><br /><li>Using a sourdough starter is a time tested (dating back to ancient Egyptians) and very effective method for leavening breads. <a href="http://www.thefreshloaf.com/lessons/advanced/sourdoughoutline">Here</a> is an interesting look at sourdough. </li><br /><li>Sourdough bread has less impact on blood sugar levels than yeast bread, also thought to be better for diabetics. This is because of the lactic acid that is produced from the wild yeast spores. <a href="http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/4203/healthy-sourdough">Here</a> is information on this, as well as <a href="http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/4203/healthy-sourdough">here.</a></li><br /><li>It is cheap. The bread I make consists of flour, water, a tiny bit of honey and salt. </li><br /><li>Flour used to make sourdough bread does not need to be soaked. The dough ferments as it is allowed to rise over a long period of time. This is also the reason the popularity of commercial yeast boomed when it became available, however sourdough is easier to digest.</li><br /><li>It has a wonderful, depth of flavor lacking in commercial yeast breads. It can be adapted to make a more or less sour flavor depending on your taste.</li></ul><br /><p>The sourdough starter I made comes from a recipe from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and while it has proven effective, there were days when I questioned it's liveliness. I combined rye flour and water in a large jar and daily "fed" this mixture with more flour and water, each time changing jars and mixing thoroughly. This is a simple method and there are many methods found online some including adding a sugar, or regular yeast to get the starter going. I ignored those and stuck to my flour and water mixture. By one week I had a large amount of smelly flour and water but wasn't convinced it had enough bubbles or froth to be considered active. So I dumped some of this out, split the rest in two and continued feeding my smaller batches in smaller amounts more often (like two or three times a day) for a few more days. I noticed one of my jars had bubbles throughout and I decided it was ready!</p><br /><p>Using the sourdough bread recipe also found in Nourishing Traditions I made a half batch of bread hoping for the best. Thankfully a friend who makes sourdough bread stopped by while I was kneading and told me it looked like it should, although she predicted it would be dense. The real test however, was whether or not my dough would rise. This was a little suspenseful as the dough is left to rise for up to 18 hours!! Thankfully mine rose in about 8. It doubled in bulk - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">yay</span>! But... it was dense. Flavorful but dense. I made this recipe a couple more times with my remaining starter that I had been continuing to feed in between baking days.</p><br /><p>Since I have been baking my own bread for a couple of years now, I have made enough dough recipes to know there must be another way to soften my really dense dough. So after looking for more recipes to test, but really wanting to stay true to the traditional methods and ingredients, I combined a couple methods and recipes to come up with a much nicer loaf. My new recipe calls for mixing my starter with more flour and water and letting it ferment a little to create a sponge. To this I add flour, water, salt and a little honey. Once mixed, the dough is left to ferment for 8-12 hours. Then the dough is kneaded, left to rest, kneaded and left to rest again before shaping. Once shaped, the loaves are scored to avoid cracking and left to rise for 2-4 hours, until doubled. Mine tend to double in two hours and are then baked at a higher temperature to brown and then at a moderate temperature to bake through. The bread is cooled and enjoyed, particularly with butter and raw honey. </p><br /><p>My experiences have taught me that the real key to success for a completely whole grain, sourdough in my opinion is at least two risings. This is true of commercial yeast whole wheat bread as well, and I am really happy with the results. The whole family enjoys this bread and it lasts a few days on the counter and freezes well. So now I know that real sourdough bread does actually have health benefits I was unaware of and more importantly, it is Delicious! In addition to bread, I have used my sourdough starter to make pancakes (yummy) and am planning to make <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">biscuits</span> tomorrow. </p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-23879870138380487092009-04-03T06:12:00.000-07:002009-04-03T06:12:01.093-07:00Party NT Style<div>This last weekend we had a birthday in our family. One of our children was celebrating a birthday and as I like to entertain and throw a little party every now and again, I decided to take on the challenge of having a few friends and family over and serving food that is healthy and nourishing. </div><br /><div>I knew that I needed to rethink the usual crowd pleasers like chips, baked goods, a candy dish, and of course - the cake! I also wanted to keep things simple, with things that could be prepared before hand. Party favors also had to be rethought, I didn't want to send kids home with candy or bubbles (nothing wrong with bubbles, but we have a lot and I didn't want to bog any one's home down with more).</div><br /><div>I started with the cake. I decided on a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting from Nourishing Traditions and planned enough ahead to do a test run the weekend before the party. This was good because I found there were a few things I opted to do a little differently, mainly boosting flavor, and changing the sweetener from honey to agave/maple syrup blend in the frosting as this was more baby friendly. The actual cake for the birthday turned out well, and because the cake was really for the young one, it was nice to have an excuse for not serving an overly sweet grocery store cake! The frosting was delicious and I luckily have a little left over in my fridge that seems to be disappearing little by little... </div><br /><div> </div><div>Next I worked on the menu. Due to budget, space restrictions and nap times, I decided to have an afternoon party, but not at a main meal time. This worked out well and here are the things I served.</div><ul><br /><li>Chicken wings. I found a nice looking recipe that had the wings marinading the night before and simply baked the next day. They were mild enough for children but had a nice, complex flavor that the adults enjoyed.</li><br /><li>Tropical fruit tower (it was a jungle theme) with pineapple, bananas, kiwi.</li><br /><li>Veggie tray with Roquefort dip. The dip was easy to prepare, the base was creme fraiche I made a day ahead and then added cream, Roquefort cheese, salt and a little fish sauce. </li><br /><li>Mango/Passion fruit gelatin. This was a much more delicious and nutritious option than Jello-o. It was made with simply juice, a little honey and gelatin. Easy and yummy. </li><br /><li>A friend offered to make a dish and she made potato salad - even the mayo was homemade which made the salad very nice and nourishing!</li><br /><li>Favors for the adults were packs of tropical trail mix - with cashews, macadamia nuts, dried tropical fruit and coconut. Healthy and colorful. </li><br /><li>For drinks, I wanted to think outside the Coke/Pepsi cans and found some natural sodas that were mango flavored as well as some natural root beer. No one mentioned the lack of traditional sodas! I also served passion fruit iced tea sweetened with some of the juice I used for the gelatin.</li><br /><li>The kids favors were not edible, but cute, budget friendly and useful. While at the goat farm last week picking up some yogurt, I noticed some soaps molded as a lion. They were perfect for my jungle theme, and all natural, gentle and they were even on sale that day! </li></ul><p>So all in all, it was a successful party and I am convinced it is possible to entertain making traditional food while still pleasing many palates. </p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-22970412413418042972009-04-02T11:31:00.001-07:002009-04-02T11:35:48.556-07:00Culture give away!Hi Y'all, I am really excited about this giveaway I came across today... It even brings out my American slang (even though I'm Canadian!). It is from <a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/giveaway-cultures-for-health/">Nourished Kitchen </a>and sponsored by <a href="https://www.culturesforhealth.com/zen/index.php?main_page=page&id=13">Cultures for Health</a>. I was lurking at this site last week eying the yogurt cultures, in particular the Greek yogurt starter (my fave) and even if I don't win, I hope to purchase some soon. They also have sourdough starters and while we haven't really gotten into the sourdough topic yet, we will and these starters look like a great option to build a repertoire of different flavors of sourdough starters. I particularly want to try the Italian variety and make some pizza! <br />Anyway, go check it out and enter to win. A great way to try some fermented foods at no cost!Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-16947463108647960032009-03-29T21:47:00.000-07:002009-03-30T11:59:15.982-07:00Smoothies!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SdBUrZMXsRI/AAAAAAAAECk/CK2QEQ0cKSM/s1600-h/smoothie-recipe-nourishing-traditions.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318844264398434578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 185px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SdBUrZMXsRI/AAAAAAAAECk/CK2QEQ0cKSM/s320/smoothie-recipe-nourishing-traditions.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I have to tell you about my new favorite breakfast item: Smoothies! And guess what? They can actually be good for you! Well, if you make them the usual way - with tons of sugar - they wouldn't be too healthy, but with a little creativity you can get your morning off to a yummy, healthy start! <div><br /></div><div>Here are some of my favorite ingredients in a smoothie:</div><div><ul><li>Organic bananas, strawberries (or any other fruit that you love!)<br /></li><li>Almond butter (natural, organic with no yucky stuff like hydrogenated oils!) (I don't do the peanut butter thing, but to each his own, right? Just see the earlier point about no yucky stuff!)<br /></li><li>Local, raw honey (if you need a little bit more sweet!)<br /></li><li>Ground <a href="http://holistic-nutrition.suite101.com/article.cfm/health_benefits_of_flax_seeds">flax seeds</a> - do you know how healthy these are for you???<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.coconut-info.com/">Coconut oil (unrefined)</a><br /></li><li>Coconut milk (whole, not low-fat)<br /></li><li>Shredded coconut (unsweetened)<br /></li><li><a href="http://traditionalfoodchallenge.blogspot.com/2009/03/cream-for-me-please.html">Non-homogenized whole milk</a> (or if you've jumped on the raw milk bandwagon - go for that!)</li><li>Whole yogurt</li><li>How about a little <a href="http://www.infowest.com/business/g/gentle/carob.html">carob powder</a> - that stuff's pretty good for you (tons more calcium than milk) and a great chocolate substitute!</li></ul><div>Things to avoid in your smoothie:</div><div><ul><li>Fruit juices (just use the whole fruit instead)<br /></li><li>Sugar </li><li>Protien powder (more on this topic to come)<br /></li></ul></div><div>A couple of tips:</div><ul><li>If using coconut oil or honey you might want to melt it so that you don't have chunks floating around in your smoothie!<br /></li><li>Another tip is sometimes coconut milk is chunky when you open the can. Try adding it to the blender first and blend until smooth.<br /></li><li>Try using frozen fruit!</li></ul><p>The possibilities are endless... What are some of your favorites? </p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18233228724378020273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-13209909487205931442009-03-25T06:37:00.000-07:002009-03-25T14:19:49.668-07:00Cream for me please!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/Scp4UMwpqYI/AAAAAAAAEBg/8I3BJ7hi5Oo/s1600-h/non-homogenized-milk-nt.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317194598482291074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 205px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/Scp4UMwpqYI/AAAAAAAAEBg/8I3BJ7hi5Oo/s320/non-homogenized-milk-nt.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We live in an area with a fair amount of dairies, farms and local food suppliers. This is a huge benefit when trying to source good, wholesome food, especially when you want to ask a lot of questions. </div><div><br /></div><div>A week or two ago, while in our local food co-op, Heather and I met a farmer/cheese/yogurt maker. He was giving samples of his new yogurt made with whole, Guernsey milk (an interesting link to this farm and info on Guernseys <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.graceharborfarms.com/Guernseys.html">here</a>). The yogurt is delicious! I immediately bought the largest size available, even though I make my own with only a half cup purchased yogurt because I knew we would eat it all. It doesn't contain anything but whole milk and cultures (He does make a vanilla flavor as well, I didn't look at what else was in that). Just what I was looking for! Plus, it had a layer of cream on top. That means it is non-homogenized. For me this was also great, I have been buying milk that is non-homogenized (still pasteurized...) from a local dairy in glass bottles (very cool) that are returned to the store and then reused. I have not always bought non-homogenized, actually this milk isn't even certified organic! Why take the risk, when the organic is only cents more per half-gallon? </div><br /><div>My research has shown that homogenization became popular after pasteurization, when in transit, the milk would form a cream line that then became unevenly distributed to customers when the milk was bottled. It also was less aesthetically pleasing, and with marketing campaigns aimed at Americans, by the 50's most people were buying pure white, homogenized milk. </div><br /><div>Homogenisation is by definition, according to <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homogenized">Miriam-Webster online</a>, "to reduce the particles of so that they are uniformly small and evenly distributed ; specifically : to break up the fat globules of (milk) into very fine particles. intransitive verb" How is this done? It is mechanically processed, pushed (at high pressure) through tubes that minimize the fat globules thus making them mixable with the rest of milk. This is usually done after the milk has been clarified, separated and pasteurized, sometimes before. It is then cooled and packaged. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Milk.html">Here</a> is a good link to how milk is made. It may not be accurate for all milk producers but has some good basic information. Some people make the claim that non-homogenized milk has more health benefits than the more processed version. </div><br /><div>I have made the decision for non-homogenized dairy products for the reason that it is one extra processing step. Raw milk has cream on top but has not been heated. Non-homogenized milk has been heated (slowly at a lower temperature) and then bottled. Another plus when buying non-homogenized cream is that it whips very quickly. This makes for whipping cream that can be whipped by hand with a whisk instead of dragging out the mixer! And butter whips more quickly as well. In yogurt, simply stir in the cream on top and enjoy! I feel there is a more satisfying mouth-feel to non-homogenized milk and yogurt and am so thankful to have a local supplier - especially one I can meet in person!! </div><div>What kind of dairy products do you buy and can you source them back to the farm? </div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-36558643146705184932009-03-20T05:01:00.000-07:002009-03-20T05:01:05.069-07:00Anatomy of a Burrito (Part 3): Tortillas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/ScHhIfdbOTI/AAAAAAAAD_Y/LjTpJCBXYoc/s1600-h/nourishing-traditions-recipe-tortillas.jpg"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/ScHgHV1WUsI/AAAAAAAAD_Q/FeZPnRSf1Z4/s1600-h/tortillas-soaked-chapatties.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314775451998507714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/ScHgHV1WUsI/AAAAAAAAD_Q/FeZPnRSf1Z4/s320/tortillas-soaked-chapatties.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Next in our Mexican Fiesta recipe series is a staple for many south of the border food fans, tortillas! I suppose this should have been the start of our burrito series, but we just weren't there yet! Now we can say, "been there, done that."</div><br /><div>This weekend, Heather and I soaked flour overnight with water, whey and oil and the next day got together to make, roll and cook stacks of tortillas! Why would we go through all of this when you can get packs of tortillas from any grocery store/Costco - some even with whole wheat flour? Well as we described last week, we are soaking our grains in order to make them more nutritious and easier to digest. So when burritos came up on the menu we needed an alternative to processed tortillas which besides not being soaked, are filled with preservatives. So we found a recipe and went for it!</div><br /><div>We made a lot of tortillas, enough to freeze several meals worth. So we each started with;</div><ul><li>12 cups of whole wheat flour - what type of flour used does alter the end product (more on that below)</li><br /><li>4 cups warm filtered water</li><br /><li>4 tbsp whey, yogurt or other acid medium</li><br /><li>1 cup of oil - I used half coconut oil, melted and half olive oil. Heather used all olive oil. Ghee or butter might be our choice next time for the taste. </li></ul><p>The above mixture soaked overnight. The next afternoon we sprinkled over the top of each bowl;</p><ul><li>1 tsp baking powder</li><br /><li>4 tsp sea salt</li></ul><p>Then we kneaded the dough (we realized working with halves was easier than the whole amount of dough) until it was smooth and the salt was incorporated, probably 5 minutes. Then we let the dough rest about 10 minutes. This really helps relax the flour, especially when working with whole wheat, this is a great tip. </p><p>Next we divided the two large segments into small round balls of dough, about the size of a golf ball (we didn't make large burrito size, more like taco size tortillas). We preheated an electric griddle and two frying pans to high. Once we had portioned out the dough, we started with the first balls (they had rested again while the rest of the dough was formed into balls) rolling them into flat disks, as round as possible, about 1/8 inch thick. Then we cooked each tortilla about 1 minute on each side, until the air bubbles that formed were browned. Then we flipped and cooked the next side, probably a little less time as the second side cooks faster. Then we started stacking, and stacking, and stacking... I think we each ended up with about 60 tortillas! And really from start to finish it didn't take as long as we worried it might! And well worth the effort, and we have a freezer full of burritos in the making!<br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314776571274017074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 327px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/ScHhIfdbOTI/AAAAAAAAD_Y/LjTpJCBXYoc/s400/nourishing-traditions-recipe-tortillas.jpg" border="0" /> <p>A few points looking back. We read a review of the original recipe we based ours from and the point was made that whole wheat pastry flour gave a crumbly result. So I used Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour. According to the package, this is dark northern hard red spring wheat. My tortillas were not crumbly at all and if anything were a little heavy. This might have been the addition of too much flour during rolling/kneading but given Heather's results I think it was the flour. Heather also used whole wheat flour although the actual grain name was not listed on the package. Her flour was marked as "chapatti flour." Chapatti's are an Indian flat bread, basically a tortilla. They are made regularly at home like tortillas in Mexico and are eaten like bread, with eggs, curries, and many other dishes. Her tortillas were much lighter in color than mine and were more tender. From a little research online, this type of flour is ground more fine than stone ground whole wheat like I used and thus a little of the bran has been sifted, but it is still considered whole wheat. I think I will look for this type of flour next time as it resulted in a softer tortilla.</p><p>All in all, we had a successful day and are enjoying the fruits of our labor with a side of Mexican Rice and Refried Beans - Yum!! </p>Stay tuned in the <a href="http://traditionalfoodchallenge.blogspot.com/search?q=anatomy+of+a+burrito">Anatomy of a Burrito Series</a> - we're not done yet! What would a burrito be without toppings?! Until next time... Bon Appetite!<br /><br /><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-12747048272125972552009-03-16T04:46:00.000-07:002009-03-16T04:46:00.586-07:00Anatomy of a Burrito (Part 2): Mexican Rice<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310200963078069250" style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; DISPLAY: block; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 162px; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SbGfpCo0nAI/AAAAAAAAD-A/Zpe2BxK_Z-g/s320/traditional-foods-burrito-recipe.jpg" border="0" /> <div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So last time, in the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Anatomy of a Burrito Series</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, we talked about making </span></span><a href="http://traditionalfoodchallenge.blogspot.com/2009/03/anatomy-of-burrito-part-1.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">refried beans</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. As promised, this time we're gonna tell you how to make your long-grain, BROWN Basmati rice taste totally amazing! I'm serious - you're not even gonna miss that white stuff after you taste this!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I'll be the first to admit, I have not always been a fan of brown rice. I liked it once in a while, but around our house we eat a lot of Mexican food (since I'm from Texas) and a lot of Indian food (since my husband is from India). So by default, we eat a lot of (white) rice! When this whole TF Challenge started I wasn't too sure about giving up our wonderful white rice - which I cook to perfection in my rice cooker. But it wouldn't be a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">challenge</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> if it wasn't at least a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">little</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> bit hard!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So I experimented with my Mexican rice recipes (no more Rice-A-Roni at our house!), and found one that I love - I didn't even miss the white rice!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Here's how it's done:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mexican Rice</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ingredients:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">3 tbsp. oil (olive oil, or "healthy" oil of your choice)</span> </span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1 cup uncooked brown basmati rice</span> </span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/2 tsp. garlic powder</span> </span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/2 tsp. onion powder</span> </span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">salt to taste</span> </span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/2 tsp. ground cumin</span> </span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/4 cup chopped onion</span> </span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/2 cup tomato sauce</span> </span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">2 cups water (if not soaking the rice, you can use chicken stock - or use less water for soaking and add additional chicken stock when cooking)</span> </span></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Directions:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The night before: soak brown rice in water & 1-2 tbsp yogurt, whey, etc. (in a covered glass container)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Cook rice in soaking liquid and additional chicken stock (if desired). </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add chopped onions. Add onions and cook until tender, and add spices & tomato sauce. While rice is cooking, sprinkle rice with salt and cumin. Stir into onions the cooked rice. Reduce heat to low, cover and steam for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Tips: Use a rice cooker - it is pretty hard to burn your rice in a rice cooker & the best part is they switch off automatically & will just keep your rice warm until you're ready for it! But beware, if you're just making the switch from white to brown rice like me - you'll need to allow extra cooking time - brown rice takes a lot longer to cook!!! You can also use leftover rice for this recipe - a great way to liven up last night's leftovers!</span></span></div></div></span></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18233228724378020273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-78034805131896486982009-03-13T05:56:00.000-07:002009-05-06T10:22:12.189-07:00Whole Grains: To Soak or Not to Soak?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SboSBAmWA4I/AAAAAAAAD-I/B91fxtngC9c/s1600-h/soaking-grains-nourishing-traditoins.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SboSBAmWA4I/AAAAAAAAD-I/B91fxtngC9c/s320/soaking-grains-nourishing-traditoins.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312578518986916738" /></a><br /><div>I felt it was time for a post on the theories behind one of our uncommon baking techniques - soaking. It starts with the chemistry and history of whole grains. (I felt like I was back in school researching... But this is more fun!) Grains have a few stigmas attached to them. Either they are seen as really healthy, the ultimate in good nutrition or as to be avoided. This theory rests on our ancient, ancient ancestors who did not eat grains (weren't they nomads?) and we now have many who are intolerant of gluten and cannot digest grains well. Nearly everyone acknowledges white flour is an empty food. Devoid of nutrients, complex carbohydrates, and is simply extra calories. White rice is up there with white flour, although a huge population of our world consumes white rice on a daily basis (and they still have fewer chronic diseases than us in the West!). Nourishing traditions cites a difference in the digestion of rice between Asian people and Western people due to a physiological difference.</div><br /><div>So lets take the position that grains became to the civilized world, a wonderful way to live comfortably and were a welcome food. These societies prepared their grains by soaking or fermentation. These were then used in recipes such as porridge, bread, cakes or casseroles. There is no record of quick rise breads, bran muffins etc... Europeans are known for sourdough bread, a fermented, long rise bread that prepares the grains for optimal nutrition. Pioneers in the West made sourdough bread, pancakes and biscuits. Apparently oatmeal packages in a time our grandparents may remember recommended overnight soaking before preparation. </div><br /><div>So why was soaking and fermenting of grains a way of life? Grains are a complex food, without the entire grain, you run into problems, especially when removing the germ, or the bran. There is a lack of vitamin B in the final product when this happens, yet when we consume just the bran or wheat germ without the rest of the carbohydrate, we cannot digest it properly. </div><br /><div>If grains are so good for us, why do thy sound so bad? Well most of the anti-nutrients found in grains are present because that is how God made them able to preserve themselves until conditions became right to sprout. Soaking in warm, acidic liquid for a period of time imitates what happens in nature. It neutralizes the phytic acid which inhibits the absorption of minerals. Soaking breaks down things like tannins and gluten so they are easier to digest. Sally Fallon, author or Nourishing Traditions goes on to explain the stomachs of animals who rely on grain. In brief, they have four. We have one. We need to do some of the work of digestion before it reaches our one stomach. </div><br /><div>There is much more to read/write about grains, the apparent short shelf life of ground flours, the rancidity of highly processed grains, and the utter horror of extreme heat, rolling, and processing of such things as breakfast cereals. There is even a train of thought which sugests that eating whole grains with fat, such as butter on bread, milk on porridge is benificial! I hope this brief introduction encourages you to research more about this topic and share what you have learned! </div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700746775397098527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283759658943748133.post-72225947359719916412009-03-09T05:59:00.000-07:002009-03-09T05:59:00.918-07:00The Anatomy of a Burrito Part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SbGfpCo0nAI/AAAAAAAAD-A/Zpe2BxK_Z-g/s1600-h/traditional-foods-burrito-recipe.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 162px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LMi3WCS9bWc/SbGfpCo0nAI/AAAAAAAAD-A/Zpe2BxK_Z-g/s320/traditional-foods-burrito-recipe.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310200963078069250" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I was born and raised in Texas, and like any good Texan, I can't go more than a couple of days without a Mexican food fix. It has been all to easy to go to Taco Bell or even worse, buy frozen burritos to satisfy my cravings! Yikes! I'm sure we can do better than that!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So this is part one in a series called "The Anatomy of a Burrito."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What makes up a really, really great burrito? Well first would be some great refried beans. So here is a recipe for great refried beans, that I made the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">traditional food challenge</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> way! </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I have a fond attachment to my pressure cooker </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(although I don't think it is recommended in the book, Nourishing Traditions, shhh! don't tell Nicole!)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. It just makes cooking beans and lentils so much faster! I'll include directions for both using a pressure cooker or a crock pot, o</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">f course, you can cook them on the stovetop too, just simmer pre-soaked beans for a couple of hours until tender.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mexican Refried Beans</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ingredients:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span></div><blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 cup dry pinto beans</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 red onion, divided in half, chopped</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1-2 fresh green chili, chopped</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 tsp garlic powder</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 tsp ground cumin</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">salt to taste</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">2-4 garlic cloves, minced</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 tsp cayanne pepper or 3 tsp chili powder (if not using green chilies)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 tsp dried organo</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">smoked paprika, to taste</span></span></div><div></div></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Directions:</span></span></span></div></div></div><blockquote><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1. Sort and wash 1 cup of dry beans. Soak in plenty of filtered water overnight. Rinse and use fresh water for cooking. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">**Allow plenty of room for expansion the beans - I did not do this - so learn from my mistake - beans expand. A lot.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Tip: They say if you add one of the following to the soaking water- 1 tbsp fresh chopped green chilies or 1 tsp fennel seeds - it will help to reduce gas. Who knew?</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Stove top or Pressure cooker:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> add pinto beans, 1/2 chopped onion, chopped green chili, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, salt to taste. Cover with water. Cook until beans are tender.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Crock pot: </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Place above ingredients in crockpot and cook on low overnight, or for about 9 hrs, until very tender.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Once beans are cooked, drain most of liquid off beans (reserve the cooking liquid), and add cooked beans to a food processor (adding cooking liquid back in as needed). Pulse until you reach the desired consistency. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Saute in oil/ butter:</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">the other half of the onion, chopped<br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced<br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">chopped fresh chilies, to taste (optional)<br /></span></span></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Add to beans:</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Sauteed garlic & onion (& chillies if using)<br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 tsp cayenne pepper or 3 tsp chili powder (if not using fresh chilies)<br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 tsp dried oregano<br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">smoked paprika, to taste<br /></span></span></li></ul></div></div></div><div></div></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So there we have it, an easy way to make nutritious refried beans at home. Stay tuned to find out how to make the next ingredient in the <a href="http://traditionalfoodchallenge.blogspot.com/search?q=anatomy+of+a+burrito">Anatomy of a Burrito</a>: Mexican Rice.</span></span></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18233228724378020273noreply@blogger.com0