Tag: Recipes

Recipe Swap – Hot Toddy

I was under the weather this past week with a miserable cold and cough.  I wasn’t sure at first if it was allergies or a cold, but after a few days of horrible coughing I knew it was a chest cold.  Anyone that knows me knows I hate taking medicine, especially long term.  I did take something for the cough, but it really wasn’t helping all that much.  When all else didn’t work, I channeled my inner German/Irish grandmother and made myself a cup of hot toddy.  I couldn’t believe how much relief I got from that cup of tea.  I slept like a baby and didn’t cough during the night.

The next few days I had a cup or two of this mix and my chest cleared.  I do still cough occasionally, but overall am feeling better.  Those old wives tales sure do come in handy sometimes.  Here’s the recipe I used for my toddy.

Laura’s Hot Toddy

Ingredients

  • Organic green tea
  • 1/4 tsp raw organic honey
  • 1 tsp organic lemon
  • 1 tsp Bragg’s Apple Cider vinegar
  • 1-2 tbsp Slivovitz (you can use Jack Daniels instead)
  • 1 sprinkle of Cayenne pepper

Directions

  1. Boil the tea and steep for 3 minutes
  2. Add all ingredients and stir
  3. Sip and enjoy the warmth (I love the Cayenne pepper heat)

My first cup, I admit to using a full shot of the Slivovitz to aid my sleep and it worked like a charm.  First relief I had in days.  If you don’t want any alcohol (though over the counter medicines contain it too) you can eliminate the alcohol and up the sprinkle of pepper.

Do you have a home cold remedy recipe to share?  Please comment in the box below, I’d love to hear about new remedies.  If you try mine, let me know what you think.

Prince of Peace Organic Green Tea 100 Tea Bags

 

Madhava Natural Sweeteners Organic Raw Honey, 22-Ounce

 

Simply Organic Cayenne Pepper Certified Organic Containers – 2.89 Oz

 

Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, 16 Ounce – 1 Pack

 

Santa Cruz Organic Original Lemonade, 1 Quart

**Due to the alcohol in this recipe I do not recommend using with children, especially under the age of 18.  

Recipe Swap – Chicken Pad Thai

I’ve been branching out and trying new recipes that I’ve never cooked before.  I’ve heard so many good things about Thai food, but have yet to try it.  I saw an easy recipe that I thought might be something I’d enjoy.  I decided against purchasing a ready made Thai sauce as I was unable to pronounce many of the ingredients listed on the label.  I used a recipe for homemade Thai sauce found below.  I did not include noodles, but I’m sure you could.  The recipe was super easy to follow and quick!  The whole process took about 30 minutes.  It will be perfect for a work night stir fry and no I don’t have a fancy wok – yet.  The taste of this was delicious, but it was a bit hot which I love.  I’m thinking the heat came from the serrano pepper and not the sauce, so go easy on that if you prefer it milder.

Pad Thai Sauce:

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp coconut yogurt
  • 3 tbsp. ketchup
  • 1 tbsp. coconut aminos (healthier alternative to soy sauce)
  • 1 tbsp. raw honey
  • 1 tsp. organic hoisin sauce
  • 1⁄4 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1⁄2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1⁄2 tsp. organic ginger (I used minced ginger in jar)
  • 1⁄2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1⁄2 tsp. organic cilantro
  • 1⁄2 tsp.  no-salt seasoning

Directions:

1. In a bowl combine all ingredients and set aside until needed for your stir fry.   Copyright © 2016 Danette May and Mindful Health, LLC

Chicken Stir-Fry:

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 oz. chicken, cubed
  • 1 small serrano pepper, minced
  • 2 tbsp. Pad Thai sauce
  • 1 cubed organic zucchini
  • 1 chopped organic red bell pepper

Directions:

  1. In pan, add 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, zucchini, red bell pepper, chicken and minced Serrano pepper. Cook until chicken browns and is fully cooked. (I actually had leftover grilled chicken that I cubed so it was done real fast.  I cooked the vegetables for a bit first, then added the cooked, cubed chicken to warm.)
  2. Add pad thai sauce.
  3. Stir and warm.

Copyright © 2016 Danette May and Mindful Health, LLC

This was a meal by itself, no sides required but you could make a nice garden salad with it.  Be sure you have something to put out the fire in your mouth.  I drank ginger kombucha.

If you try this recipe, please let me know how you liked it.  It was part of a 30 day meal program I participated in recently with Danette May.

Some ingredients needed:

Nutrifera Organic Coconut Coconut Aminos 12.7 fl oz (375 ml)

Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce, 20 oz

 

NoSalt Original Sodium-Free Salt Alternative 11 Ounce (Pack of 2)

 

 

Recipe Swap – Creamy, Spicy Coleslaw

I am a recent coleslaw lover much to the surprise of my husband who has spent 34 years hearing me say otherwise.  He’s feeling sad thinking that when we go to a diner I will no longer give him my share of it.  He really shouldn’t worry though because I won’t be indulging in a mayonnaise laden version of this staple side dish anytime soon.  I have tested a few healthier, lighter versions and found one that I’m especially loving so I’ll be eating my coleslaw right here in my home.

My first taste of coleslaw came recently at a dinner out.  It was on top of a pulled pork slider and man was I sold on it after the first bite.  I haven’t tried the pulled pork recipe hunt yet, but quickly got after a coleslaw recipe I’d enjoy.  Here’s what I’ve settled on for now.  Spicy, tangy and crunchy while reducing some of the mayonnaise fat.  I served it last night on top of some grilled chicken and boy was it a hit around here.

Spicy Coleslaw Recipe

  • 4 cups shredded cabbage (I used green already shredded organic coleslaw mix)
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • 6 oz cottage cheese (I used goat cottage)
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup coconut sugar ( I guess this could be optional but I used it)
  • Optional – add sprinkle of hot sauce (I didn’t but I will next time!)

Directions:

  1. Mix the cottage cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne pepper, vinegar, sugar until combined well.
  2. Begin to add the shredded cabbage until well coated.
  3. Chill covered for at least 2 hours.

I have some leftover right now in my refrigerator and can’t wait for lunch to crunch on some.  If you try this recipe, or have a version of coleslaw to share, please post it in the comments below.

Ingredients used in this recipe –

Natural Value Organic Sriracha Chili Sauce, 18 Ounce

I have to hide this from my husband who puts it on everything!

 

NOW Foods Organic Coconut Sugar,16-Ounce

Healthier option for recipes that call for sugar.  It is still sugar and should be used sparingly, but it does have a lower glycemic index.

 

Recipe Swap – Gluten Free Gnocchi

Sunday sauce and recipe testing just plain go together. Especially on a chilly, rainy Sunday with nothing to do. I am always looking for ways to make this staple meal healthier. I am not gluten intolerant, but do try to limit the amount of food I eat that contain gluten. Pasta is the first swap I made and I rarely eat pasta that contains gluten. This week’s recipe swap is a delicious, easy to make version of gluten free gnocchi.

Gnocchi are soft dumplings that can be made from semolina, potato or various other combinations of ingredients. The recipe I made today was gluten free and delicious. It was a big hit and the texture was for me perfect. Had I not made them myself I wouldn’t have known they were gluten free. I hope you give them a try.

Gluten Free Garlic Gnocchi

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese, strained
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 clove roasted garlic (optional)
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 2 tbsp xantham gum

Directions:

  1. Strain ricotta cheese in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl for 30 minutes.  Drying out the cheese will ensure your gnocchi are not too dense. (*Mine really didn’t have liquid in it but I did this step in case.)
  2. Roast garlic in a ramekin with olive oil at 250 ̊F (Chop the tops off one clove of garlic but leave the remaining shell on.)  Allow it to cool and then squeeze the garlic clove from the bottom and work your fingers up, pushing out the roasted cloves. Set half of the cloves aside for sauce (or another recipe).
  3. Mix all ingredients together to form a dough. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. You want the dough to come together to form a ball but not be too dry or stiff, just easy enough to work with and roll without getting stuck to the table!
  4. Cut the dough into 4 sections and roll the first section on a lightly floured surface (using rice flour for gluten-free) into a long log about 1/2 inch thick.
  5. Use a small paring knife to cut the log into 1 inch sections.
  6. Roll the gnocchi with a fork or gnocchi board to create indentations or simply set the gnocchi pieces aside on a foil lined tray.
  7. Continue this process with the remaining dough.
  8. If you will be using the gnocchi later, wrap the tray and keep refrigerated until you are ready to use.
  9. In a large pot, bring water to boil then add half the gnocchi to the boiling water (cooking the gnocchi in batches will prevent it from sticking together). Boil the gnocchi for about 3 minutes or until they float on the surface of the water.
  10. Strain and eat immediately.

*Recipe base on one shared by Integrative Nutrition with substitution of one ingredient

Happily this made enough for my family of three with some leftover for today.  If you have a large family I’d suggest doubling the recipe.  Not sure how they will reheat yet, but I’m sure they will be just fine.  I didn’t bother rolling the gnocchi on my fork to make the dents, but I included those instructions should you want to do so.  For me the soft pillowy clouds were just fine as is.

Please let me know if you try them how you like!  If you have a recipe you’d like to share for an upcoming blog, please let me know in the comments and I’ll contact you directly.

Ingredients used:

Bob’s Red Mill Sweet White Rice Flour – 24 oz

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Xanthan Gum, 8-ounce

 

 

Thursday Tips & Tricks – Morning Elixir

It seems that everything I read about prevention of disease comes back to nutrition.  One easy addition to my life has been a morning elixir.  If you want a new way to start your day in a healthy way, this recipe is for you.  This week’s tip is for a super easy to make morning elixir to help start your day on the right foot.  I drink one every single morning without fail.

Digestive health appears to be more important than anyone may think.  Getting our digestive system straightened out can reap huge rewards and even help in weight loss.  Combining three simple ingredients in a morning shot will aid your body in many ways, including improving your digestive health.

My morning elixir is made of three ingredients, each have been said to improve digestion and provide detoxing assistance to the body.  Bragg’s apple cider vinegar can help balance your body’s PH.  It also contains enzymes that can act as probiotics and can aid in helping your liver detox.   Combining this with lemon juice can help boost your metabolism.  Lemon juice has a high mineral count and of course contains vitamin C which can also help balance your PH. Top this off with a spring of cayenne pepper and your have a great natural fat burning and anti-inflammatory morning drink.

If you absolutely can’t stand the taste, but I promise you will get used to it, you can substitute the apple cider vinegar with coconut vinegar.  Coconut vinegar has many of the same properties and a slightly better taste.   I recommend you drink it quickly and give it a few days your taste buds will adjust.

I drink this upon waking each morning, prior to eating or drinking anything else.  I imagine it cleaning out my pipes.  If you want you can add a second one to your day before bed.  Give it a try, I think you will like the improvement in your digestive health.

Morning Elixir

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • dash of cayenne pepper
  • 8 oz water (room temperature, or warm)

Directions

Combine all ingredients, stir and drink.  (When I first started, I just downed it like doing shots at the bar.  Now, I can sip it and take my vitamins with it.)  It is important to use the best quality ingredients.  Bragg’s is always my top choice.  Here the the two vinegars I use:

Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, 16 Ounce – 1 Pack

Coconut Secret – Raw Coconut Vinegar – 12.7 oz

 

Let me know if you already are drinking this drink each morning.  If not, give it a shot and let me know what you think.

Recipe Swap – Skinny Latte

My obsession with coffee quickly led to rapid weight gain.  Of course, I fell in love with mocha lattes, the ultimate sugar and fat laden beverage.  I was told by my friend to “go easy” on the stuff and of course I didn’t listen.  It was just that good.  Today I want to share an easy to make at home version of my favorite coffee shop latte.  It’s worth the time to make because it’s super delicious.

I don’t drink these every day, but when the craving comes upon me I take a moment to make and savor this truly delicious, coffee shop worthy, latte.  Coffee and chocolate, for me, are always a match made in heaven.

Skinny Mocha Latte

Ingredients

  • 3 TBSP. good quality unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 TBSP. coconut sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla
  • 2/3 cup skim milk

Directions

Boil some water. Keep warm while you make the latte. Have 2 8-ounce coffee mugs standing by
1. Place everything except the vanilla in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, until mixture thickens
2. Add vanilla and whisk to combine
3. Make the latte: If you have an espresso maker, brew one shot. If you don’t have one, just brew a couple of cups of strong coffee. Place espresso or brewed coffee in an 8-ounce mug and add 2 TBSP. of the mocha syrup. Stir until the mocha syrup is well incorporated. add 2-4 TBSP. of boiling water (depending on how strong you like your coffee) and set aside
4. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat, just until is starts to simmer
5. Pour equal amounts of the milk into each mug, stir well to combine. YUM!

Recipe shared by thereciperedux.com

If you want to get fancy and froth your milk it’s super easy to do and for me worth the extra step.  I use a hand held frother for this recipe.

  Elementi Original Premier Milk Frother with Stand (Red) | More Powerful High Torque Motor – Make Cappuccinos, Lattes and Bulletproof Coffee

If you decide to make espresso, in place of strong coffee, there’s a simple press that I use. I just don’t have the room for an espresso machine, though I do longingly admire them. As an added bonus, this press is portable so you can have a quick cup of latte at work too.  So easy to use and clean!

Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker

Another option for frothing is to just pour your mixture in a high powered blender, such as Vitamix and whip it up. I prefer the handheld option to this though as it’s so much easier to clean up after leaving more time to sip and savor your coffee.

I hope you give this delicious treat a try. Let me know how you like it!

Recipe Swap

Pizza has long been one of my favorite foods.  I look forward to eating it at least once a week.  When I was younger, I could eat pizza five days a week for lunch and not blink an eye.  I probably could still eat it five days a week, but I’d have to blink both eyes now.

Growing up in Middle Village, everyone ate pizza at Carlo’s Pizzeria.  When we go home, we all flock back to Carlo’s for a slice of the best pizza in New York.  My family really couldn’t afford to order pizza often, but when we did what a delicious treat.  I’m guessing my love affair with pizza can be traced back to those carefree days growing up in the best small town ever.

Flash forward many years and I still love pizza.  I wouldn’t say I ever found a pizzeria that I love as much as my childhood one, but Staten Island has some darn good pizza.  The thing is as I’ve continued on this journey, I’ve worried about the quality of the ingredients being used in these commercial pizza pies.  We all know there are corners to be cut and money to be saved when running a business.  I don’t want my health to be connected to anyones bottom line.  I want to ensure that my pizza is made with the healthiest, freshest organic ingredients out there.  The only way I know to do this is to make it myself.

I’ve been making homemade pizza for years now and I must say once you make the switch you may never go back to store bought.  It’s really not a complicated process and knowing each ingredient used puts my mind at ease.  It’s been a journey of trial and error to perfect the recipe.  When I first started, I was buying the dough already made, but that sort of defeats the purpose of making homemade.  And, please don’t use jar sauce on it either.  If you are committing to your health and taking the time to make the pizza at home, please be selective about your ingredients, as well as toppings.

Here are a few options for the pizza crust, some healthier than others.  If you are not gluten free, consider using my favorite crust.

Ingredients 

  • 1 teaspoon yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons oil

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients in order listed to your bread machine.
  2. Use Pizza Dough setting
  3. When finished let dough rest for at least 5 minutes before using
  4. Place on lightly greased pizza pan
  5. Add sauce, cheese, etc.
  6. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes (check readiness before removing from oven)

Here’s the directions if you do not have a bread machine, but I highly recommend getting one.  You can also buy a dough attachment for your Kitchen Aid mixer.  I have this as well, but prefer the bread machine as it takes the dough through the whole cycle including rising without me standing there.  Here are the directions if you do not have either of those options,

Directions

  1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water.
  2. Beat in ½ flour.
  3. Add salt, oil and rest of flour (add more if needed to make handle-able dough).
  4. Rise in lightly oiled bowl.
  5. Place on lightly greased pan.
  6. Add sauce, cheese, etc.
  7. Bake at 400 20 minutes.

Here are two options for dough making at home:

Hamilton Beach Programmable Bread Machine, 2-Pound Bread Maker with Gluten-Free Setting (29882)

Mine is an older version, but I like that this one has a gluten free setting. I may have to upgrade!

KitchenAid Burnished Aluminum C-Dough Hook

Gluten Free Pizza Dough

I experimented with gluten free versions, but since I am not gluten intolerant and only eat pizza once a week I don’t often make it.  Here’s the recipe I found the easiest to make and closest in taste to traditional pizza dough.  Further, it’s one of the only ones that didn’t have an ingredient list a mile long and is pretty darn good.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white rice flour
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 cup tapioca flour
  • 3/4 tsp xanthan gum)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3 Tbsp sugar, divided
  • 1 Tbsp yeast
  • 1 1/4 cup warm water, divided
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine yeast and 3/4 cup warm water. Too hot and it will kill the yeast! Let set for 5 minutes to activate.
  2. Sprinkle in 1 Tbsp of the sugar a few minutes in.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine flour blend, salt, baking powder and remaining 2 Tbsp sugar. Whisk until well combined.
  4. Make a well in the dry mixture and add the yeast mixture. Add the olive oil and additional 1/2 cup warm water before stirring. Then stir it all together until well combined, using a wooden spoon.
  5. Lightly coat a baking sheet or pizza stone with non-stick spray and plop your dough down. Using your hands and a little brown rice flour if it gets too sticky, work from the middle and push to spread/flatten the dough out to the edge. You want it to be pretty thin – less than 1/4 inch.
  6. Put the pizza in the oven to pre-bake for roughly 25-30 minutes, or until it begins to look dry. Cracks may appear, but that’s normal and totally OK.
  7. Remove from oven and spread generously with your favorite pizza sauce, cheese and desired toppings. Pop back in oven for another 20-25 minutes, or until the crust edge looks golden brown and the toppings are warm and bubbly.
  8. Cut immediately and serve.

Recipe Credit: Minimalist Baker.com

If I update my bread machine, perhaps I can revisit this recipe and use the machine for the dough.

Cauliflower Crust

I’m including the recipe here, but I’ve only tried it once.  It was just OK for me, but my friends loved it.  I am a traditional pizza girl at heart and if I’m eating it, I want the real deal.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds cauliflower florets, riced
1 egg, beaten
⅓ cup cheese for topping
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
  2. To make the cauliflower rice, pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.
  3. Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the “rice” and cover; let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.
  4. THIS IS THE SECRET: Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEZE all the excess moisture out! It’s amazing how much extra liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust.
  5. In a large bowl, mix up your strained rice, beaten egg, goat cheese, and spices. (Don’t be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed.) It won’t be like any pizza dough you’ve ever worked with, but don’t worry– it’ll hold together!
  6. Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper, or it will stick.) Keep the dough about ⅓” thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like.
  7. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400F. The crust should be firm, and golden brown when finished.
  8. Now’s the time to add all your favorites– sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you like.
  9. Return the pizza to the 400F oven, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, just until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
    Slice and serve immediately!

Author: Detoxinista.com
A grain-free alternative to traditional pizza crust, that you can pick up with your hands!

This recipe and other easy recipes can be found in this book –

Everyday Detox: 100 Easy Recipes to Remove Toxins, Promote Gut Health, and Lose Weight Naturally

If you have a favorite homemade pizza recipe, please share it below.  I’d absolutely love to try it!

 

Recipe Swaps

Recently, I tried farro for the first time.  Farro is an ancient grain that is a nutritious, high fiber, low gluten choice that is gaining in popularity.  You can add farro to soups in place of other grains.  It has a chewy texture that kind of reminded me of pasta in my dish.  I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture.  As an added benefit, farro offers lots of fiber, B vitamins, zinc, iron and even a good dose of protein.

I tried farro in a side dish for a dinner party I hosted.  I used a recipe published by Ina Garten, who never fails to deliver!  I’m sure there are likely many healthier ways to cook the farro, but this recipe was worth making. You can swap the bacon for turkey bacon if you wish, but I used uncured natural bacon and it was simply delicious.  Added such a nice flavor.  For the parmesan, I used a goat version.  It was filling and a hit with my crowd and I think it could actually serve as a meal on it’s own.

Baked Farro & Butternut Squash Recipe by Ina Garten

Ingredients

6 thick-cut slices applewood-smoked bacon – (*I didn’t use 6 slices, I used 3)
2 tablespoons good olive oil (*I used 1 tablespoon of avocado oil)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups pearled farro
3 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade (*I used organic chicken bone broth)
3 cups (3/4-to-1-inch-diced) peeled butternut squash
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (*I used goat parmesan)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the bacon on a baking rack set on a sheet pan and bake it for 20 to 30 minutes, until browned (it won’t be crisp). Dice the bacon.

Meanwhile, in a small (9-inch) Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender and starting to brown. Add the thyme, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the farro and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Place the squash on top of the farro mixture, cover, and bake in the same oven with the bacon for 30 minutes, until the squash and farro are tender. Check once during cooking and add a little chicken stock if it’s dry.

Sprinkle the bacon and parmesan on the squash and farro and bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates, the farro and butternut squash are tender, and the cheese has melted. Serve hot directly from the pot.

This stored nicely in my refrigerator for 2-3 days.  I highly recommend you give it a try.  I’ve also been experimenting with adding cooked farro to my salads instead of beans.  I’d love to hear more about what you do with farro.  Please leave a comment below.

Recipe credit – Ina Garten

Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Recipe Swaps

When I first gave up drinking dairy milk, I switched over to store bought nut milks.  While there are many healthy options available, I soon learned just how easy it is to make these milks at home.  I was excited by this as I love to cook and wanted to have control over what is actually in my milk.   As an added bonus, I am never without fresh delicious nut milks to use in my smoothies and/or meals.  When you find out just how simple it is to make, I believe you will join me in whipping up a fresh batch.

Things you need to have on hand to make fresh nut milks at home are nuts (any type you wish to use), cheesecloth or what I bought – a nut milk bag (to strain the milk) and glass jars (to store milk).

My favorite recipe:

Cashew Nut Milk (My favorite nut milk)

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup raw unsalted cashews
  • 3cups filtered water, plus more for soaking cashews
  • one whole pitted date
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • Place cashews in a bowl and cover with water (I use filtered water to soak)
  • Soak cashews for at least 4 hours (overnight is best)
  • Strain the cashews and add to your blender, along with the date and vanilla
  • Slowly add clean filtered water to your blender and blend until you reach desired consistency.  I like mine creamy, so 3 cups works.  If you like yours thinner, just add a little more water until it’s the consistency you want.
  • Strain the milk through a nut bag, or cheese cloth into your glass jar. (You can actually eat the strained creamy thick paste if you wish.  It’s a healthy, tasty snack.  Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon and add some fruit.)
  • Store milk in refrigerator in your glass jar for up to 3 days.

This recipe can be used with any nut.  I’ve tried almond, pecan and cashew.  Cashew is my personal favorite, but they’ve all been delicious.  I use whatever nut I have in the house at the moment I want milk.  My daughter has now switched over as well and loves using this in her macaroni and cheese recipe.

Here’s the supplies I use:

Pro Quality Nut Milk Bag – Big 12″X12″ Commercial Grade – Reusable Almond Milk Bag & All Purpose Food Strainer – Fine Mesh Nylon Cheesecloth & Cold Brew Coffee Filter – Free Recipes & Videos (1)

Libbey Glass Milk Bottle with Lid – 33.5 oz

 

I am a huge fan of simple, easy cooking.  I was surprised and excited when I learned how easy making nut milk at home was.  I’m hoping you’ll try it.  Let me know how you like it!

Homemade Revisited

As I sit here watching the morning news, I’m reminded of why I prefer to make my food from scratch.  This morning there are several recalls of food products.  Some are more disturbing than others and should be a reminder as to why it is important to have control over what goes into your food.  Apparently, there are golf ball pieces in packages of frozen hash browns, salmonella on chips and what the soup can says is not what was found inside.  These issues serve as a stark reminder of why taking back control over our food sources is critical.

I work long hours and totally understand the appeal of purchasing frozen foods for ease of cooking.  But when I hear of these types of situations, it increases my commitment to control as much as I can when it comes to my food.  Hash browns, for instance, are merely made from potatoes, onions and peppers.  Super easy to cook yourself and then freeze for later use.  Doing this would avoid the large production plants in which ready made versions come from, in which we wonder this morning about the quality control.  What else is in our food that we are totally unaware of!

Recently, I read about someone who found a bat inside a popular salad mix.  I would literally die if I opened my bag of salad and found a dead bat!  This morning, I’m hoping we all consider what we are buying for convenience that could possibly be replaced, like bagged salads, canned soups and frozen hash browns.  All of these items are easy enough to assemble at home to avoid mass production assembly lines.

Here are my suggestions for making this type of change to your food pantry.

Canning Food

Items like soup that come in cans are generally filled with sodium and lord knows what else.  Soup is such an easy meal to prepare at home, but not something you might have time for after a long day at work.  Luckily soup is an easy to cook ahead store meal.  You can purchase glass food storage jars and seal the soup for months in your pantry.  Or, you can place it in freezer safe storage containers and store in your freezer.  Making a large pot of soup on the weekend is super easy as it’s they kind of meal that can slow cook in the crockpot, or on the stove.  Once cooked, you divide the soup into several glass jars, seal and store.

The process of canning is fairly simple. You fill a clean jar with prepared food, apply the flat lid and the threaded ring to the jar and submerge the filled jar in boiling water.  The time for boiling depends on what you are canning and is the process that creates an airtight seal, keeping food safe for extended periods of time.  These are the jars I purchased when I was canning tomatoes.  This morning I went down the basement and brought them back up.  I plan to wash, sterilize and prepare for use again.

Ball Pint Regular Mouth Jars and Lids BPA Free, 16 oz, Set of 12

DIY Prepared Frozen Food

Open your freezer and look at what types of frozen foods you are purchasing.  Are there any, like the hash browns on recall, that you could possibly make yourself?  Hash browns are a perfect example of an easy to make and freeze food.  Cooking these at home and placing in freezer storage bags or containers when cooled give you homemade goodness ready to grab and heat.  I took stock of my freezer this morning and I have lots of frozen organic vegetables and fruit for use in smoothies.  I started purchasing them when I got tired of throwing out food that we didn’t eat fast enough.  I also have baggies with cut up banana and fresh blueberries.  This reminded me that I can purchase and freeze fresh vegetables to avoid waste.  I just need to invest in some extra freezer storage bags to place them in.  They may not store quite as long as the store brought variety, but I don’t need to store them long.

I have seen food storage machines at Costco in the past and am wondering if I should pick one up for freezing vegetables and fruits. I think this would help them maintain their crisp color and avoid any danger of freezer burn. This one looks affordable and might be an investment I make.

FoodSaver V2244 Vacuum Sealing System with Starter Kit

Thankfully, if I am the person putting the fruit and vegetables in the bag, I’d be completely sure there are no extra critters inside my bags!

Make Your Own Salad Bags

The reason most of us purchase ready made salad bags is convenience.  I’ve had many a morning where I didn’t bring salad to work because I didn’t have time to wash, chop and assemble it.  Food prep will avoid this, but once you wash salad it begins to go bad if you don’t eat it.  I used to have a salad spinner that dried the salad after washing.  I may have to dig that out of my basement as well.  This way I would wash it, spin it, assemble it and store it.  Purchasing the Romaine lettuce whole is also more cost effective.  I could purchase my lettuce, wash and inspect, dry and assemble for the week in separate containers.  The trims can be added as needed to ensure freshness.  Most of the trims are easy enough to grab and go.  This is the type of spinner I have and I think I’m going to see if it dries it enough to stay fresh for the week.

Westmark German Vegetable and Salad Spinner with Pouring Spout (Green)

I’m excited to get back to my routes and rethink some of my food preparation practices.  I wish I had the time to grow my vegetables again, but I know I can’t maintain the garden properly.  Making these simple changes will get me closer to that and hopefully avoid unknowingly eating items such as golf ball pieces in my food.

What are your thoughts on these recalls?  Are you as sickened as I am?  Will you give these types of suggestions a try?  If you do, let me know how it works out for you.