Remember my Creamy French Toast Pancakes recipe from a  few weeks back? Well, my husband is in love with it. He makes them 4-5 times a week, maybe more. Most days he follows the recipe as I wrote it but some days he gets all wild and crazy and creates new variations. Hence the reason he is a better cook. I stick with the safe bet and he likes to kick it up a notch, ala Emeril. If he got to set something on fire while cooking these they would probably be all he ever made.

Anyway, this week he came up with two kick ass, new versions of these paleo/primal pancakes. Delicious doesn’t even begin to describe them. Essentially he added some coconut flour to make the pancakes more dense and bread-like and he added either pickled ginger or orange zest to give the recipe a whole new flavor. We eat pickled ginger by the bucket load around here but I never ever would have thought to add it to pancakes.

Coconut Ginger Primal Pancakes

4 pastured eggs
8 ounces (one package) organic full fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1 tablespoon pickled ginger
1 cap full pure vanilla
Coconut oil for cooking (we use Tropical Traditions coconut oil)
Pure maple syrup

Mix up in a good blender (I am partial to the Vita-Mix) and pour on to your cast iron skillet or griddle, aiming for pancakes about six inches in diameter. Use cooking oil to grease your pan/griddle if need be. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side. They will be a glorious golden brown. Top with grass fed butter and pure maple syrup.

To make the orange zest version just remove the pickled ginger and substitute the orange zest. Enjoy!

I make this meal quite often for breakfast or as an after CrossFit “power” meal. This serves one and it is sooooo delicious! I also like that it gives me the opportunity to use leeks because they are a favorite of mine and since potatoes (their favorite playmate) and I are not on such good terms these days, I don’t cook with leeks so much anymore. I also love mushrooms and usually go for baby bellas with this recipe but went with plain white buttons on this day. Often times I will chop enough of the veggies and ham to make two frittatas and then store the unused half in the fridge for a super quickie meal the next day.

Enjoy!

Nourishing Mushroom Leek Frittata

1/2 cup chopped leeks (light and white parts only). Use the dark parts for this soup!
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped, precooked ham
3 pastured eggs
2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Saute leeks, mushrooms, and ham on a cast iron skillet until the veggies are soft. Sprinkle with salt and pepper while cooking them. Beat the eggs together with the Parmesan cheese and pour over the cooked veggies and ham. Tilt the skillet so that the egg coats the pan evenly and then put it in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and eat!

The weather warmed up pretty fast here in Central Ohio of late. I went from having the heat on to having to open windows and put box fans in them so we wouldn’t have to resort to using the A/C, all in the span of one week. My kids reminded me that this was popsicle season and to avoid all the plastic wrappers and popsicle sticks that ALWAYS make their way to the carpeted areas of the house, we generally make our own. Here is our latest recipe. I have been making the popsicles for the kids and I drink the remaining as a smoothie. Delish and easy peasy!

Coconut Berry Smoothies and/or Popsicles

2 cups vanilla flavored coconut milk
1 half of a ripe banana
1 cup mixed frozen berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
1-2 tablespoons Kids Calm Multivitamin Liquid- Fruity Splash flavor (optional)

Blend well and pour into popsicle molds or smoothie glasses. Enjoy!

The Natural Vitality Multivitamin I use in this recipe is a great product with vitamins sourced from whole foods. That is important to me. It is really tart so it is best to add it to water or put it in a sweet smoothie. We tried adding it to juice but since the juice was tart it made for a drink that was just to sour for my kids. They love these popsicles and smoothies though and supplementation for them is important to me with the nutrient depleted food and soil conditions today. It also has lots of magnesium, which is very important for them to get enough of. We have tried their other magnesium products like the Natural Calm but they like Calm Multi better.

Features:

24 Fruits & Veggies
Omega 3 DHA and EPA (fish oil)
Vitamins and Minerals
Natural Calm Magnesium
Calcium
Amino Acids

This is good stuff and we plan to use it all summer. Enjoy!

I made paleo tacos for dinner tonight and boy were they ever good!! I don’t miss tortillas or taco shells at all when I eat these! Plus, they are a snap to make.

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast
Uncured Bacon
Tomato
Onion
Cilantro
Butter or Boston lettuce
Taco Spices
Salsa (optional)

You simply start out by marinating or seasoning your chicken in taco spices. Taco spices include chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, and cumin. You could also get pre-made taco seasoning from the store, just be sure to check the ingredients to make sure there is no nasty stuff added to it. After seasoning I cooked the chicken under my broiler, flipping halfway through, until cooked and crispy. Then I chopped it up into bite size chunks.

While the chicken was cooking I also cooked up 5 slices of bacon (I was feeding 3 people) on a cast iron griddle and chopped up some onion, tomato, and cilantro. All these items went on top of butter lettuce “shells”. You simply pick them up and fold them closed like a taco shell and eat. If you don’t get them too full they have no problem holding your taco filling which is why everyone got several small tacos.

I was going to add cheese on top but found I only had honey flavored goat cheese on hand so that was not going to work. I didn’t even miss the cheese though and neither did the kids. The bacon gave it a perfect smokey flavor and they were a hit all around.

Enjoy!

The cookbook is oversized, almost like a phone book, and it is full of high quality color pictures and amazing recipes. I am so impressed with it that I think all other paleo cookbooks (or any cookbook for that matter) are going to suffer under comparison.

The beginning section covers how the authors (a couple) met and fell in love with each other and paleo. It also covers what paleo is and what you need to get started. Then it digs in with one amazing recipe after another. I don’t know how anyone could ever feel restricted with the paleo diet but if you do, you only need to take a gander at this book and it will smack some sense into you.

Some of the winning recipes include:

Seared Ahi Tuna with Wasabi Mayo (one of my personal all time fave dishes)
French Omelet
Mint “Lamburgers”
Rosemary Roasted Turkey
Chicken and Vegetable “Lo Mein”
Duck Confit
Tropical Fruit Gazpacho
Mutton Stew
Cauliflower Rice
Carrot Cake

Everything is amazing!

This week my husband (who also adores this cookbook) made the Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese. It was heaven on earth and I am not much of a date fan because they are generally too sweet for me. I have to eat them mixed up in something like raw cookies. These were incredible though and the almond meal that you dust them with just added the perfect touch.

This cookbook has now taken the top spot in our kitchen. We are looking forward to a very delicious spring and summer in this house with Make It Paleo.

One of the issues I have with hitting the gym (or a CrossFit class) in the early mornings is that it kind of screws up normal mealtimes. I also cannot eat a big meal before exercising or I will get crampy so most days I grab a Lara bar and call it my morning meal. Then when I get home I debate whether or not to fix a meal for myself (everyone is still sleeping) or snack until we can eat a meal together. Either way I usually have a cravings for breakfast style foods whether it is actually breakfast time or lunch. Pancakes is one thing I LOVE to eat post workout.

Today was one of those days when I just grabbed a banana and waited until lunch time before I made my first big meal of the day. I wanted a change of pace from our usual coconut pancakes but my order from Tropical Traditions arrived just as a I got home with Organic Maple Syrup. Yum! This is my fave maple syrup ever! So, to mix it up I made cheesy french toast pancakes. Okay the name is lame but they taste like french toast without the toast and in a pancake form with just a hint of fried cheesecake in the middle. Seriously good and they are grain free and lacto-paleo.

Creamy French Toast Pancakes Recipe

4 pastured eggs
8 ounces (one package) organic full fat cream cheese
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cap full pure vanilla
Coconut oil for cooking (we use Tropical Traditions coconut oil)
Pure maple syrup

Mix up in a good blender (I am partial to the Vita-Mix) and pour on to your cast iron skillet or griddle, aiming for pancakes about six inches in diameter. Use cooking oil to grease your pan/griddle if need be. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side. They will be a glorious golden brown. Top with pure maple syrup and enjoy!

This recipe makes about 15 thin pancakes and three of us gobbled them all up today so if you have a big family you may want to double this recipe.

Added to Traditional Tuesdays

Yesterday I decided to try a recipe I found on Primal Palate. It was soooooo darn yummy that I made it again today. It is actually really easy too, it just takes 45 minutes to cook and it is best if you let it cool and stew in the sauce/juices for awhile but the actual cooking part is a piece of cake. I edited the original recipe to make a few slight changes and I doubled the recipe to make more chicken. OMGoodness!

First you melt two tablespoons pastured butter in an oven safe skillet along with two teaspoons of powdered ginger, a teaspoon of garlic salt, and one cube of frozen garlic (I got mine from Trader Joe’s). Add two teaspoons fish sauce and 1/2 cup of Coconut Aminos and bring to a bubble.

I just started using Raw Organic Coconut Aminos instead of soy sauce (which often has wheat) and I LOVE the stuff! Where have you been all my life?!?!

After salting and peppering all the chicken legs (skin on, pastured) I throw them in the skillet with the sauce, making sure to coat them well. They get baked for 45 minutes at 425 degrees. About halfway through I take a spoon and scoop up the bubbly sauce and drench the legs with it again. Let them sit for about 20-30 minutes and serve. Yum, yum!

I used my Xtrema ceramic skillet for this recipe. Perfect!

I simply love this recipe for Hot and Sour Soup. It takes the classic soup that we love from our favorite Asian restaurants and mixes it up a bit. This recipe can also me made a variety of different ways because I used to gobble it down when I was a vegetarian as well (minus the fish and Worcestershire). You can use chicken, shrimp, tofu, or just use extra mushrooms and make it meatless. No matter which way I make it, I LOVE it.

The Marinade:

1/2 cup sake or rice wine vinegar (I typically use sake)
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt

Soup Ingredients:

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth/stock
1 1/2 pounds firm fleshed fish (haddock, red snapper, trout)
1 1/2 cups green onions, chopped
1/2 cup dried wood ears (soaked for 20 minutes, and cut into strips)
1/4 cup dried Shitake mushrooms or large handful fresh oyster mushrooms
3/4 pound snow peas (snap the ends and remove strings)
5 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons soy sauce (I use gluten free)
3 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
2 tablespoons dried seaweed flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Cut the fish into bite size chunks and add to the Marinade for 1 to 2 hours. Pour the broth into a dutch oven or stock pot and add the fish, onions, and soaked wood ears and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium to simmer for 5 minutes. Skim any impurities that foam at the top and add snow peas.

Add the black vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper, and sesame oil. Stir well and remove from heat. Take your beaten eggs and slowly add them to the soup, stirring in a thin stream around the edge of the pot. Serve and enjoy!

This soup is excellent for winter wellness and nourishing the body during cold and flu season. The ginger heats up your body to fight any germs that may be taking hold of you and the wood ears are also very good for you. Wood ears are a black herbal fungus that have been used in tonics by the Chinese for thousands of years. They are great for digestive troubles and energy levels. You can order them online if you don’t have a good Asian market in your area. If you don’t have any you can use oyster mushrooms instead.

This recipe is adapted from one found in one of my fave all time cookbooks: A Spoonful of Ginger: Irresistible, Health-Giving Recipes from Asian Kitchens.

I grew up eating pineapple oatmeal breakfast cookies and for many months now I have had a hankering for some. This past weekend I asked my mom for a refresher course on how to make them and after adapting the recipe a wee bit I have made these cookies for breakfast all week long. They are so simple and easy to make (12 minutes total for prep and cooking) and they taste delicious. They are one of the few ways I will eat oatmeal actually and they are surprisingly filling without being heavy. They keep me satiated for hours and I can eat them prior to hitting the gym without cramping up. This recipe serves one (4 cookies), since I eat my breakfast alone most mornings, but it can be doubled as needed for more servings.

My whole family enjoys these…

Pineapple Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies Recipe

1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (fresh or canned)
1 pastured egg
1 T quinoa flour
1/2 T flaxseed meal
1 T whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
4-5 drops liquid Stevia, or 1-2 teaspoons of another natural sweetener
Pinch of cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together. You should have a wet dough but not so wet that it won’t clump together. If it is too wet add more flour. Scoop onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees or 10 minutes. Eat them warm and enjoy!

Important Notes: You can eliminate the tablespoon of whole wheat flour if you take a tablespoon or more of the oats and grind them into flour. If you use canned pineapple, drain the juice first. Ideally you will also want to use soaked oats to make sure the phytic acid is deactivated and that the cookies are as nourishing as possible. One good way to do this is to soak your oats overnight in water with a couple tablespoons of dairy kefir. Then drain off the water and spread them thinly on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate them. You can also use a cookie sheet and a low temperature in the stove. Once dry you can use the oats for this recipe and you can make big batches of them so that you have some at the ready.

With the arrival of Fall I have been craving pumpkins. Mostly I want some of my mom’s homemade pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting but me left alone during the day with that cake is a recipe for disaster. So I got creative and adapted my post workout shake to make it pumpkin flavored instead. Delish!

Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake

1 Cup almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (no soy!)
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 half banana
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or a sprinkling of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice
A handful of ice cubes

Blend together and enjoy!

I used banana because I almost always choose fruit to sweeten stuff before using a processed sweetener but I could have used coconut sugar in this. I couldn’t even taste the banana though, so it worked for me. I also  highlighted that I chose a no soy protein powder. It has nothing to with taste… I just detest unfermented soy products. Most protein powders have soy, so be on the lookout if you also avoid soy. Enjoy!

We aren’t all that big on desserts around here. I think that may be because we live within 15 minutes of what has been called America’s best ice cream… the local artisan creations from Jeni’s. I have no problem loading the family into the car and making a trip there once or twice a week but recently we decided that needed to change some. We aren’t worried about our health or the size of our jeans. Rather we are trying to reduce the “dining out” portion of our monthly budget. Dagnabit! Since we can easily spend $30+ for each trip to Jeni’s we decided to get creative and make more dessert at home.

The first way to accomplish this was pretty glaring. We can have Jeni’s at home by using the recipes in her book Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home. So once or twice a month we plan to make some of her delicious recipes. Secondly we want to make more frozen kefir and frozen yogurt. I have made my own frozen yogurt from homemade yogurt but I have yet to make my own frozen kefir. Sadly I let my kefir grains die over the summer and need to buy some more but when I passed some Lifeway Frozen Kefir at the market I decided to give it a whirl.

We have tried two flavors now… original and strawberry. My 5 year old and I went to town on the strawberry and ate the whole container earlier this week. Don’t tell my other kids! I reserved the original for dessert tonight and spiced it up with some homemade blackberry compote. YUM!!!

The blackberry compote was super easy. I just simmered a cup of blackberries with 3 Tablespoons of Thai Coconut Sugar and a couple tablespoons of water. When it was sufficiently reduced and thick I blended it up in the Vita-Mix and poured it over the kefir. The one pint size was perfect for me and my 3 kiddos (Dad works at night). Divide by four and serve. I can see us buying these more often in the future. At $1.24 per serving (family of four) it will definitely help us keep the budget in check.

If any of my readers want to give it a try Lifeway has graciously given me a couple coupons for a free pint. Comment to let me know you want one and I will draw a winner at random next week. Good luck!

Looking for some new recipes I asked on the NatureMoms Facebook page what the community’s  favorite way to cook Quinoa was. They gave me ten new ideas:

1. Cooked with brown rice in the rice cooker. Then topped steamed broccoli and sauteed veggies in sesame teriyaki sauce.

2. Wrapped in a burrito with corn and beans.

3. Steamed with fresh veggies and covered in a vinaigrette.

4. Mixed with black beans, scrambled egg, diced avocado and lots o’ hot sauce w/ a squeeze of lime.

5. In tabouli replacing the wheat.

6. Browned with a little butter first then cooked with with mushrooms, slivered almonds, and nettles.

7. Mixed half and half with homemade salsa.

8. After it is cooked… add black beans, diced tomatoes, minced garlic, sea salt, avocado, cilantro and squeeze some lime juice.

9. Fruity quinoa salad with yogurt, fruit, nuts, and dried raisins or cranberries. The quinoa is cooked w/water, apple juice, and cinnamon. YUM!

10. Cooked in chicken or veggie stock instead of water with several cloves of garlic and a bunch of my favorite herbs.

See anything you might like to try? Enjoy!

For more ideas checkout:

Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood

]]> http://naturemoms.com/blog/2011/07/12/10-new-ways-to-cook-quinoa/feed/ 76 http://naturemoms.com/blog/2011/05/16/raw-star-recipes-interview-with-bryan-au/ http://naturemoms.com/blog/2011/05/16/raw-star-recipes-interview-with-bryan-au/#comments Mon, 16 May 2011 06:00:46 +0000 Tiffany http://naturemoms.com/blog/?p=6785 A few years ago I picked up the book Raw in Ten Minutes by Bryan Au and became an immediate fan. I LOVE raw foods but sometimes the prep can be so daunting… aka sprouting, juicing, dehydrating, etc. This is why the idea of raw meals in ten minutes sounded awesome to me and the food was good. The raw nachos and chili cheese fries stand out to me in particular. I have been anxiously awaiting his next book which I asked him some questions about several months ago. It just recently came out for sale so I thought I would publish the interview now. Anyway the book is Raw STAR Recipes: Organic Meals, Snacks & Desserts Under 10 Minutes. Enjoy!

Tiffany: Why should non vegans look into adding more raw foods to their diet?

Chef Bryan Au: Vegans and everyone should eat more organic fresh fruit and vegetables because it is very healthy and doctors always recommend it too. With my recipes it is so much fun, fast and easy while being incredibly delicious too! And all my recipes are made out of fresh organic fruit, vegetables with some nuts or seeds so you don’t have to worry about getting “enough” because you will! It is also very new with amazing flavors and assortment of new desserts and recipes to enjoy. It really is for everyone. And everyone absolutely loves it!

Tiffany: Do you think your recipes are easy enough and tasty enough to fool those strapped for time or dead set against “health food”?

Chef Bryan Au: Yes definitely! I actually designed ALL of my recipes to look and taste even BETTER than everyone’s favorite junk foods, comfort foods and international menu. I did this on purpose because we all enjoy these foods the most. But I was able to combine all my years of being a chef, culinary expert and was finally able to combine perfectly the two worlds of junk foods and have it be actually the most healthy food on the planet! It is very incredible and you have to experience it yourself. My recipes are actually the most creamy, decadent and gourmet yet so simple and tasty!

Tiffany: What are some of your favorite recipe recommendations for those just getting started with raw foods?

Chef Bryan Au: Many people really love my Pasta Alfredo because it is so simple to make yet so refreshing and flavorful it is a great introduction into how amazing Raw Organic Cuisine can be and then of course ANY of the desserts will instantly make anyone and everyone a huge fan of Raw Organic Cuisine and they will totally understand and want more as a result! I have seen this happen many times. But I do have more than 100+ recipes to choose from and anything or everything that you already enjoy I have a raw organic cuisine recipe or version of it that is fresher, faster, healthier and even more amazing! My goal is to make Raw Organic Cuisine the Main Food Trend in 2011 and Media Diet because it is so delicious, fun, and new with tons of health benefits. No other new “diet” or cuisine even exists or can come close so please give my new recipe book ECO CHEF BRYAN AU Raw Star Recipes: Organic Meals, Snacks & Desserts In 10 Minutes a try I promise you will love it and it already has become a major Food Trend in 2011 all the schools will be using it and you will see it everywhere.

Tiffany: Do you need any special equipment to whip up these recipes?

Chef Bryan Au: In general you can make most of my recipes with a very sharp knife, a cutting board and a good blender. But for a few recipes you do need a Good4U Dehydrator but even if you do not have one you can sometimes use the sun or a oven to dehydrate the recipes. But I would say 95% of all my recipes can be made with the sharp knife, cutting board and a good blender and most people have those already in the kitchen.

This is actually my fave soup evah! Or maybe it is tied with my Mushroom and Sherry soup, tough call. Either way this soup is nourishing and delicious and it utilizes one of my fave veggies… the leek. In order to make the soup green you need to use all of this delicious vegetable from the white part to the dark green. Often times recipes only call for the light part of the leek but I use the whole shebang. Part of why that works so well is because I blend the majority of the soup to make it smooth and creamy, not so chunky. It is hard for me to pin down a concrete recipe for you since I am more of a kitchen witch…. just tossing stuff in the cauldron and seeing what magic emerges. But I think I have made this soup enough times to give out a recipe.

Ingredients:

2-3 Leeks chopped, whites and dark greens
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp grass fed butter
1.5 Pounds potatoes, chopped (I used red and fingerlings in combination)
3 Cups vegetable broth
1 Cup milk or cream
4 Tbsp Neufchatel cheese or cream cheese
1 Tbsp dried dill
Sea Salt
Pepper

Optional: white cheddar cheese and/or crumbled, pastured bacon for toppings

I have included different options like milk/cream or Neufchatel/cream cheese simply so that you can make it as nourishing and/or savory as you want. This soup can be quite rich and very generous in the calories department if you want to watch that sort of thing. And of course meat eaters will love bacon in this soup.

Directions:

Clean leeks thoroughly by rinsing and/or soaking. These babies are grown in sandy soil and if you don’t wash properly you will end up with gritty soup. I chop off the end and then split them down the middle lengthwise. I wash them really well by letting water run through each layer and then I chop them up. Add these to your pan or dutch oven along with the garlic and saute in butter (or bacon grease if you are using bacon). Saute them until they are starting to get soft.

Add the potatoes and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the pototes are soft.

At this point you are going to want to blend 3/4 of your soup to make it nice and creamy. If you don’t want to blend it up for whatever reason you will likely have to add flour to thicken it up. Most times I use my Vita-Mix so that I can add the milk and cheese along with the soup and mix that all together well before returning it to the pot. Sometimes I use a handy dandy immersion blender. It depends on which one is clean, LOL.

So add the neufchatel, milk and dill and blend well. This is what you end up with. A creamy, dreamy, green tinted soup that kids love.

This week I decided to try my hand making coconut yogurt AND coconut water kefir with young coconuts. If you are unfamiliar with young coconuts they are the white coconuts you often see in health food stores, not the mature brown ones that usually taste nasty (IMO at least). This yogurt is a raw food dish and it is nice for an occasional treat.

I started by cracking three of them open. Actually my husband did that part. He drained the coconut water as he opened them and reserved it in a bowl. I then scooped out the meat of the coconuts and tried to keep the brownish skin on the other side of it from coming with it too much. I ended up with a fair amount of meat from just 3 coconuts.

I added the meat, a cup or so of the coconut water, and a Tablespoon of commercial coconut yogurt from Whole Foods, to my Vita-Mix and blended well to make milk. I didn’t heat this mixture at all, just let it warm a bit by letting the blender run. Afterwards I poured it into the pint jars of my yogurt maker. This machine just keeps the jars warm so that the beneficial bacteria can work and create yogurt. I had enough for 3 of the jars.

After 15ish hours I removed them and put them in the frig. The yogurt is quite tasty although my husband prefers the sweet taste of the milk without the added fermentation. I admit that it is quite delish both ways. In fact I think this would be an excellent pie filling. Just make a pie crust from raw nuts and dried dates and then fill with coconut milk or coconut yogurt, top with some sliced fruit like Kiwi or strawberries, and you have a raw pie for dessert. I also imagine that we will eat coconut milk ice cream, frozen coconut yogurt, and coconut Popsicles this summer.

I have been eating a ramekin full most mornings with a little dollop of lemon curd made with pastured eggs, honey, and coconut oil.

The water from the coconuts went straight into a quart size ball jar with some water kefir grains. The coconut water has natural sugars that the kefir will chow down on. After 15 hours it was tangy and slightly fizzy and it went straight into a glass pitcher destined for the frig. LOVE these pitchers for kefir and juice!

And my fave way to use up the coconut water kefir? Green Smoothies of course!

Oh and we used the top of the coconuts for soap dishes and the remaining shells will be used for planters!

Ready to try coconut yogurt?

Top Photo by FotoosVanRobin

Just a little more Vita-Mix love…

We are not terribly big on Peanut Butter in this house… pretty much the only ones who eat it are one of  my sons and my husband. My hubby buys Smuckers brand because it is one of the few that does not have added sugar in it… just peanuts. Well, my son decided to see if he could make his own.. he is a on a real cooking kick lately. He went from peanuts to creamy butter in about 3 minutes. I have to admit it was pretty delish!

Next up I think we will try almond butter.

Usually twice a week I forgo the morning green smoothie and drink a Kefir one instead. I am one of those people who will forget to eat breakfast but I have no problem remembering to drink it. My Kefir making process is pretty simple. I ferment dairy for Kefir 1 day a week and keep it in a half gallon Ball jar when done. The rest of the week, the grains rest in the frig.

This smoothie is ready in 2 minutes… just 2 cups of homemade Kefir, a cup of frozen fruit, a banana, and for me at least… a Tbsp of Colonix powder. You could forgo adding anything or go with hemp powder or flax seeds for an extra boost. I prefer the Colonix for its intestinal cleaning properties. It works great and tastes great. Plus as a colon cancer survivor I am always cognizant of my digestive track, adding this to Kefir makes my insides doubly happy.

But I am always looking for more amazing ways to drink Kefir. What is your favorite kefir recipe/drink?

Ingredients:

1 T Olive Oil
3 T Chopped Yellow Onion
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
3/4 C Chopped Leek
1 C Diced Potato
10 Ounces Frozen Corn
1 T Seafood Seasoning
2 T fresh Parsley, minced
1 1/2 C water (can use veggie or chicken broth if you prefer)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk (can use cream to make it more savory)
2 T Parsley, minced

Directions:

Saute onion, garlic, and leeks in olive oil until tender. Add water, potatoes, corn, seafood seasoning, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. When done remove half of the mixture and blend until creamy and add back to the pot. Stir in a 1/2 cup milk and garnish with fresh parsley.

Added to Real Food Wednesday.

This is one of my absolute favorite soups in the world. I first had it served out of a cauldron at a Halloween Craft Fair and was convinced into recreating that heaven in a bowl at home. I came pretty darn close with this recipe. Of course my lovely husband insisted it is perfect as is and my ten year old son that if anyone declares this not to be the best soup they ever had… they are not right in the head. LOL.

This soup is vegetarian and it can be made without rice and it tastes just as delish, so it can be grain free as well. My reason for adding rice was quite simple… I added a lot of onion and my daughter freaks at the site of them and rice helps her to not be able to distinguish between the two. I imagine it is slightly more filling as well.

It is decadent dish for those cold winter days and nights (was only 15 degrees all day yesterday) and kids like it too. Although I admit that my kids LOVE mushrooms… many kids do not, I was one of them. Nowadays mushrooms and I get along like peas and carrots. As with MOST of my soups I also blend half of it to get just the right mixture of creamy and chunky. I swear I use my Vita-Mix for nearly every meal I cook in some capacity. I heart that thing so much! Anyway, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Creamy Mushroom Soup with Rice and Sherry

Ingredients:

1-1.5 lbs. mushrooms (cleaned and sliced). I used Cremini, Oyster, and Shitake
6 Cups Homemade or Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
2 Tbs. Grass Fed Butter
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Large Yellow Onion
4 Cloves Garlic
2 Tb. Fresh Thyme Leaves (chopped)
1-2 Cups Cooked Rice (Brown or Long Grain Wild Rice)
3/4 Cup Cream or Half & Half
4 Tbs. Dry Sherry
2 Tbs. Tamari Sauce
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

Cook your rice on the stovetop or in a rice cooker in advance.

Add butter and olive oil to your pan or stock pot and saute the onion and the garlic until sightly browned. Add your mushrooms, Thyme, and some salt and pepper and cook until the mushroom start to get limp, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to quick boil, reduce heat and simmer until the mushrooms are nice and tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a quick spell and then spoon out half the soup into your blender, and blend for 2-3 seconds. Pour it back into the pot and add the cream, sherry, tamari, rice, and more salt and pepper as needed. Let it sit for a few minutes so that flavors can meld and then serve.

Added to Pennywise Platter Thursday

I have long been a fan of sourdough. I have always loved the taste (Cracker Barrel whole wheat sourdough toast anyone?) but I falsely assumed that the delicious taste meant it was bad for me. Well, over the years my knowledge and ideas about diet have really come a long way. At the moment I am a nourishing foods vegetarian, who eats high raw and cultured/fermented foods whenever possible. While I don’t generally eat meat I will on rare occasions if it is local and pastured. I certainly have reasons for eating this way (backed up by years of research) but I eat this way mostly because it is what I “feel good” eating. As someone with digestion and gut issues, as well as a stint with colon cancer, that cannot be undervalued. That is why I don’t draw hard and fast rules… because what feels good can evolve.

Part of that evolution has been the knowledge that grains in general are not that good for us. This is a big part of why so many people love the Primal/Paleo diet. Here are some of the more widely known issues with grains:

* They are hard to digest
*They often have nutritional deficiencies due to the refining process
*The more grains we consume the more likely it is that other more nutrient dense foods are displaced
*They are low in healthy fats
*Antinutrients designed to preserve and protect the grains in plant form stop us from absorbing nutrients and can cause allergic reactions and sensitivities.
*Cereal grains are known to be causative in some autoimmune disorders like Celiac disease.
* Phytic acid in grains, nuts, seeds and legumes causes dental decay.

It is due to the antinutrients (like Phytic acid) that soaking grains, nuts, beans, and seeds is so important. Soaking deactivates them and makes the food more digestible and usable by our bodies. It is no wonder that so many people have problems with vegetarian and vegan diets because often times they are eating WAY to many grains and they are not soaking them first. Thus they cannot access the nutrients in a large portion of their diet AND what they are eating may actually be chelating important metals like iron and zinc. They are quite simply doing it all wrong.

So… why did I mention sourdough at the beginning of this post? It is made from grains no? Well in much the same way that we ferment milk and turn it into yogurt or kefir (and thus much more digestible and healthy) we can ferment grains as well and make sourdough. Sourdough is a dough containing a lactobacillus culture, usually in symbiotic combination with wild yeasts. They are wild because you make sourdough starter by leaving it out on the counter for 4-5 days in order for airborne yeasts to “sour” it. This fermentation process neutralizes the antinutrients that we want to avoid. Any sourdough item begins with the starter and then it is allowed to sit, rise and ferment the rest of the dough so that the batch can ferment.

I don’t eat a whole lot of grains anymore but what we do eat we try to ferment first. Oh and you can soak whole grains, like wheat berries, rice, millet, and quinoa, too. You soak them by placing them in water for 12 to 24 hours with 1-2 tablespoons of whey, vinegar, buttermilk, yogurt, or kefir and then rinsing them off afterwards. The acid helps to neutralize the antinutrients. But I digress… sourdough. You can actually make much more than just sourdough bread. In fact we rarely make loaves of sourdough bread. Instead we make sourdough pancakes, sourdough pizza, sourdough waffles, sourdough english muffins, sourdough crackers, or even sourdough tortillas. You are upping the health factor of all these grains by fermenting them first. Oh and they taste REALLY good.

I keep my sourdough starter  or “mother” in Ball jar on the kitchen counter (next to the Kefir) and the lid is loose fitting to allow air in. Another gal I know puts hers in a crockpot on the counter and she covers it with a towel. Some just pinch off a ball of dough from whatever they are baking and freeze to incorporate into their next baking project. I feed it every day pretty much and bake with it a couple times a week. If I do not plan on baking I will stick it in the fridge for a few days until I am ready to use it. We use local whole wheat flour in many of our recipes, sometimes all wheat and sometimes a mixture of wheat and white whole wheat. The kids generally appreciate a half/half mixture. Sourdough is really only as good as the flour you use.

One of the BEST resources I have found for getting started with sourdough and trying new sourdough recipes is the GNOWFGLINS sourdough e-course. The basic membership is $10 a month and I cannot recommend it enough. It walks you through making your own starter with PDFs and video and it also walks you through dozens of recipes, with more added each week. How easy can it get when you can take a seat in someone’s kitchen, virtually of course, and watch them make each recipe?

In addition to some of the recipes I mentioned above there are MANY more… sourdough donuts, sourdough gingerbread, sourdough cake, sourdough crepes, and sourdough pasta to name just a few. A membership also gives you access to their other course on Food Fundamentals and I believe for future courses too. They have a cheese course planned that I won’t miss. I get am getting no incentives for recommending them I am just a member myself and a very pleased one at that.

My husband saw me watching the videos and he is now on a sourdough kick himself. We are not eating any more grains than we ideally want to, we are just making sure that the quality is top notch in what we do eat. This week I hope to make sourdough pasta and pair that with mushrooms, spinach, and a creamy mustard sauce. It is a dish we love to eat once a month or so and I hope it is improved by the sourdough. I also recommend Classic Sourdoughs: A Home Baker’s Handbook.

So do you sourdough yet?