carrot raisin salad - quick!

Hi ladies,
I had a cup or so of left over grated carrots (making the famous 'Hot Love' habanero hot sauce - yikes!) and i was feeling snack time coming on . . . so, I threw these ingredients together for a fast and nutritious snack. Jayvyn loved it!

grated carrots
handful of raisins
handful of chopped hazelnuts
spritz of lemon juice
light sprinkle of brown sugar (not sure if this is even needed, but ensured he would eat it!)

Hope to see you all soon!
Love, Amy

testing

Testing...

September Hummingbird Order

Hey mamas...please write below what you are interested in, order number and quantity please. Thanks!!

Southwestern Black Bean Burgers

Here's a good one for any of you with a bucket of black beans!

1 cup dried black beans, cooked and drained

2 Tblsp. mayo

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 Tblsp fresh bread crumbs (I use my little food processor and 1 piece of toast)

1/2 tsp. red pepper sauce

1/2 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper

lettuce

pita

salsa

-In a lg. bowl, using potato masher or fork, mash beans with mayo leaving some lumps. stir in ingredients cilantro thru pepper

-with floured hands shape into patties

-Cook on oiled skillet about 3 min each side

-serve with pitas, lettuce and salsa

Easy Teriyaki Chicken

Hello mamas. I mentioned this teriyaki chicken to some of you today and there were requests for the recipe, so here it is. Totally simple, and nothing new necessarily, but for me it was a good reminder of another way to prepare chicken other than roasting. My boy ate it up!

http://everybodylikessandwiches.com/2010/08/quick-grilled-teriyaki-chicken/

August Hummingbird Orders

Hi all! Post in the comments section below about your plans/thoughts for the August order. Thanks for including specific item info (ex: raw OG whole almonds) and a specific amount for each item (or range of amounts if you're hoping to split something).

Thanks!

What I have been doing with my berries...

Hi Mamas-

I found this recipe online and LOVED it!! Great for using some of my oats, cinnamon and the bounty of berries.....
not too sweet and a delicious breakfast!!!!

raspberry/blackberry oat breakfast bars
(recipe adapted from The Kitchen Sink)
2 c old-fashioned organic rolled oats
2 c whole-wheat organic pastry flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t kosher salt
1 t ground cinnamon
6 T cold unsalted butter
1 c plain organic yogurt
1 T lemon juice
2 t pure vanilla extract
1/2 c white sugar
1 T cornstarch
3 c frozen organic raspberries/blackberries
2 T raspberry jam
2 T organic raw sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Butter a 9×13″ glass pan and line with 1 piece of parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the sides. Butter parchment and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, blend together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in the oats & the cinnamon. Chop the butter into small pieces and drop into the flour/oat mixture. Use your hands to blend until the dough resembles small peas.

3. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla together. Pour this mixture into the flour/butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it just comes together.

4. In another bowl, roughly chop up 2 cups of the berries and mix with cornstarch and white sugar. Toss in the remaining berries.

5. Press a bit more than half of the dough into the prepared 9×13″ pan and spread the berry mixture over top. Dollop the raspberry jam over top of the berries and crumble over the remaining dough over top. Sprinkle with raw sugar.

6. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the berries are bubbling and the oats are golden brown. Remove from oven to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Happy July Hummingbird Order

Hello, ladies.

To start my July Hummingbird list:

Filberts in shells (that would be N181, right?). I think they divide up nuts, so I could order as little as 5 lbs (anyone have any idea the volume that would be?) and I'd love to share and get less. Emily, do you know where I can get one of the wooden nut crackers with mallet or did your hubby make that?

More to come...

HUGS

June Hummingbird Order

Hi Mamas:

Please post about items you are planning to order this month below. It's helpful if you can indicate whether you are interested in sharing, as well. Thanks!

Hummingbird Order, Next Meeting?

Hi, Mamas:

Are we planning to get together on the 22nd? We could meet at my house, or mix things up.

If we're going to meet next week, we might want to think about Hummingbird orders. You can post about items you're interested in getting in the comments.

I hope all is well with you!

Busy Children in the Kitchen

I just got back from watching Babies -- what a lovely experience! It was fascinating to watch little ones being raised in such different cultural settings. And, of course, there were lots of little chubby bums and round faces!

Anyhow, the film reminded me that I've been meaning to ask you all for tips about keeping children happy and busy while dinner is being prepared. Most of us are probably involving children in the cooking. Are there any kitchen tasks that your children particularly relish that we may not have tried yet? And what else are they up to, aside from cooking and cleanup? I haven't tried letting my children make potions or doughs of their own design yet. Any ideas about how to make potions more manageable in terms of wasted food and big messes?

Here's a list of what has been helping me get the job done lately. Please, please post your own tips here, too!

• Washing windows with a spray bottle of vinegar and water
• Washing up the dishes, at the sink or (for variety) in a dish tub set out on a towel on the kitchen floor (I have to vary the scrubbing tools periodically to keep their interest up)
  
• Playing ice cube hockey with a tray of cubes for each boy and a couple of wooden spoons (they also love to scrub the floor with a big scrub brush and then dry it with towels at the end of the game...most of the time)
• Watering plants with a spray bottle on the mist setting
• Restaurant play (props include carbon copy receipt pad, boxes with tea towels over them for tables, and lots of onions and potatoes from an easily-reached basket)
• Paper route play inspired by Dav Pilkey's book Paperboy (rolling up sheets of newspaper and securing with rubber band, filling bag, deliveries on vehicle, etc.)
• Cracking nuts
  
• Simple independent outside chore for older child (feeding hens, picking herbs, borrowing something from or delivering something to next door neighbor, etc.)
  

Easy Spring Salad Dressing

My neighbor shared this super easy way to dress a salad. We have been using it lots with the lettuce, spinach and radishes from our garden.

Place your greens and other veggies in a bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt and toss thoroughly. I think the salt wilts the greens just a bit. I let it sit salted while I do other dinner prep. Then pour some olive oil and lemon juice on the salad and toss thoroughly again. A little parmesan for a finishing touch and that's it. It is surprisingly caesar-esque with very little effort. Alder likes the radishes, turnips, cucumbers and avocados. Aaron and I like the whole raw leafiness of the salad!

Mama's Little Helper Pie Crust

We have been sampling the delicious rhubarb from market in rhubarb pies lately -- yum! I usually make an extra set of crusts for a quiche, potpie, or little pasty-style hand pie. (Have you mamas tried the Cousin Jack's savory hand pies at market? They are super delicious, and would make a very convenient freezer food.)

My friend Erin taught me this simple trick for making delicious pie crust: substitute ice-cold vodka for half of the water. The vodka doesn't form gluten with the flour, meaning that your crust comes out very flaky and tender even if you make it a tad more wet than usual or handle it a little too much. (I have also used tequila or bourbon at different times, and the flavor was not noticeable in the cooked dough.) Don't go overboard on working the dough or make it really sticky or anything. Just know that you can relax a little because your crust will be fabulous. I also use at least 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour, because it is delish and also doesn't form gluten easily. In fact, my in-laws, who are not whole wheat types, don't notice the whole wheat pastry flour.

Kids are very good at methodically cutting the butter into cubes, at pouring the liquid in, and at stirring. Just be sure that you chill the butter thoroughly after they soften it unintentionally with their warm little hands.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or substitute whole wheat pastry flour)
1 Tbs sugar (optional)
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and refrigerated (I think that I've actually been using 1 cup plus 2 Tbs butter)
ice water and icy-cold vodka

1. Pour water into a tumbler full of ice. Pour about 1/4 cup vodka over ice in a second tumbler, unless you store vodka in your freezer to begin with. Make sure your toddler doesn't grab the second glass by mistake (yes, this has happened in my kitchen).
   
2. Mix flour, sugar (if using), and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture looks flaky, like slightly moist large-flake brewer's yeast or something. The largest lumps of butter in the mix should be about the size of an itty bitty petit pois-style pea. (Don't overwork the dough by making the lumps too small, but don't leave giant lumps of butter either. Remember, vodka is on your side, so you can relax!)
3. If you want to be obsessive (hey, sometimes I do), put the dough in the freezer at this point for 15 minutes or so. (This is what the chef at Field to Table does.) Vodka is on your side, so you don't really need this trick. If you have to sit down and nurse or read someone a book, though, the freezer or fridge is a good place for your dough to wait for you.
4. With a fork in hand, sprinkle 3-4 Tbs of vodka over the dough and stir until just combined. Then do the same with 3-4 Tbs of ice water. Test the amount of moisture in your dough: Does it clump together easily when you squeeze some in your palm? (Check some dough from the bottom of the bowl, too. Sometimes the water hasn't been worked into the dough at the bottom, so your dough is drier than it appears.) Add more vodka and water, if you think your dough needs it. (Err on the side of more vodka if you like.)
   
5. Form the dough into two disks, wrap each in parchment paper or a plastic bag, and refrigerate. (If lots and lots of little crumbs fall off, or the dough doesn't come together well, your dough is too dry. Add more vodka.) Or don't refrigerate: vodka is working for you here.
6. Roll each disk of dough out on a well-floured surface. You can refrigerate the first rolled-out dough while you are working on the second. Done!
   

Variation: I often mix lots of thoroughly dried minced rosemary into my flour if I am making a potpie. Sprinkle the top of the potpie with a bit of parmesan cheese if the occasion calls for decadence.

Making Dashi

Okay, I am trying to post more often by giving myself only 15 minutees to write a simple post! Let's see if I can do it.

We talked about a few different recipes that involve dashi, a traditional Japanese kombu and bonito stock. Here is a basic recipe. If you check out any book on Japanese cooking, it will invariably contain dashi in nearly every soup or sauce. It's extremely useful! The dashi granules you can buy are full of MSG. The recipes below are for the whole foods, grandma-style real deal. If you make dashi, double the recipe and freeze it in 1 cup portions. It is perfect for miso soup, cold noodle dishes, etc.

I'll give two recipes below. Katsuobushi, or bonito flakes, are delicious. Buy the bigger flakes for this use. The thinner flakes are used as a condiment on a variety of delicious Japanese dishes (steamed spinach in marinade, soft tofu in marinade, okonomiyaki omelets, etc.).

The following recipe is adapted from The Japanese Kitchen, by Hiroko Shimbo.

Ichiban Dashi (First Fish Stock)

This kind of stock gives you the best nutrients and flavor from the kombu and the bonito. It is also nearly instant. I don't know much about the health properties of bonito, but the Japanese have an amazing average life span, and in the traditional diet dashi would be eaten at least once a day in some form or another. You can check out this website for more info on dashi:

http://www.nippon-sapuri.com/english/peptide.html

2 quarts water
5 6-inch squares kombu (kelp)
1 cup packed katsuobushi (flaked bonito fish)

1. Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth. Heat the water and kombu until they nearly boil, over medium heat. Remove the kombu and save it for another use. You can either use this liquid as vegetarian stock (kombu dashi) or proceed with the directions below to make ichiban dashi.
2. Add the katsuobushi to the kombu dashi and allow to come to a boil (this should only take a few seconds, hopefully). Turn off the heat, skim off the foam, and let the mixture stand for 2 minutes.
3. Strain the stock through a cheesecloth-lined sieve (I actually just strain it through a strainer usually). Reserve the katsuobushi to make niban dashi (recipe below), if desired.
4. Ichiban dashi keeps in the fridge up to 4 days, or you can refrigerate it in small portions. I made a bunch of this at the end of both my pregnancies and had lots of delicious, simple miso soup after my kids were born.

Niban Dashi (Second Fish Stock)

This stock has a much more subtle flavor and is best suited for simmered dishes. This is a good way to reuse leftover kombu from cooking beans, etc. You can use fresh katsuobushi if you like.

2 quarts water
Kombu and katsuobushi leftover from making Ichiban Dashi.

Combine all the above ingredients and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Strain and use, refrigerate, or freeze.

Twenty-nine minutes -- whew! Close. I'm getting faster.

Oregon Small Farmer's Auction

Max, Oliver, and I recently went to the Small Farmer's Auction in Madras for a couple of days. It was amazing! Anyone interested in gardening, horses, or farming with horses would love this event. There is free camping on site, and the people we reconnected with or met are just the salt of the earth. (Someone overheard Max tell me that he was thirsty, and while we were searching for an elusive drinking fountain, a couple brought us cold drinks from their cooler. People were giving out free wagon rides to tired folks walking to the parking lot, sharing gardening tips, etc.)

We got information about using horses to cultivate our soil, chatted with the friendly farmers from Lonesome Whistle, and played in all the old-fashioned farming equipment and restored wagons and buggies for sale. There was a draft horse plowing contest that kicked off the event on Wednesday that has left a huge impression on Max. He's been feeding his imaginary team of 8 draft horses at the table and letting them in and out of the front door all week! Here's a link with more information about the Small Farmer's Journal (the publication that puts on the event), in case you're interested in joining us next year or know someone else who might be. The Small Farmer's Journal is also a great resource for large-scale gardeners. They have some great titles in their bookstore.

http://smallfarmersjournal.com/

Rosemary Olive Oil Popcorn

Hi Mamas:

I promised to post so many recipes last month...and here we are about to meet again! We'll see what I can manage to type up in my spare minutes here and there.

Ingredients:

several branches fresh rosemary
1 - 1 1/2 cups olive oil
good salt, to taste
1/2 cup popcorn
1/4 to 1/2 cup pine or other nuts (optional)
fresh rosemary leaves, to garnish the popcorn

1. Cut the rosemary branches to fit in bottom of a medium saucepan. Warm the olive oil and rosemary over low heat for 5 minutes. Allow the oil to cool and sit at room temperature for as long as you can stand to wait. (I aim for 24 hours, but on the night you mamas tasted this recipe, I think that the herbs had infused the oil for only 2 hours or so.) Refrigerate the oil after 24 hours.
2. Toast nuts gently in the oven and set aside. Chop a few tablespoons of rosemary leaves finely. These will garnish the finished dish.
   
3. Set out a large bowl for the finished popcorn. Strain rosemary branches from the olive oil. (Reserve the rest of the oil for another use.) Heat 1/2 cup to 1 cup of the infused olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium or medium-high heat. (I cook popcorn at just a little past medium on my stove.) When the oil is hot enough to move in thin sheets across the bottom of the pan when tilted, add the popcorn, shake a couple of times, and put a lid on the pan. Pop the corn until you hear a 2-3 second pause between pops, then pour into serving bowl. Sprinkle the corn with chopped rosemary, salt, and nuts. Yum!
   

Chocolate Tasting, Hummingbird Orders

Hope you've all been well! What do you all think about having a simple chocolate tasting at our next gathering? Some of us could bring a chocolate bar, some of us could bring wine, and someone could bring a tea or other non-boozy option.

Also, what are folks planning to order from Hummingbird this time?

Tomato Basil Soup

I'm a sucker for tomato soup - this is delicious and quick to make!

Prep time: 25- 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups veg or chx stock
1 (14.5 ounce) can chopped tomatoes (Muir Glen has a fire-roasted canned tomato that make this soup real yummy)
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Freshly ground pepper

Heat oil and butter in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, salt and saute until onions are soft and translucent. Add stock, tomatoes, and honey and simmer for about 10-15 minutes to marry flavors.

Let soup cool slightly and put half of it into blender with sour cream. Blend until smooth. Transfer to another pot. Blend the other half of the soup and add. Reheat blended soup. Add basil and pepper to taste before servings.

For babies 6 months and older:
Serve this soup with steamed broccoli on the side. Puree part of the steamed broccoli with water for baby.

From "Feeding the Whole Family-Recipes for Babies, Young Children and Their Parents" by Cynthia Lair, pg 131

Karen's Sesame Noodles

This is a great lunch - it's a recipe that we all love and Cara loves the udon noodles

Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes 4 servings

8 ounces udon or soba noodles
3 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon almond or cashew butter
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Cook noodles in plenty of boiling water according to directions on package.

While noodles cook, make the sauce. Put the remaining ingredients in small bowl and blend. Add enough warm water to create a creamy texture.

Rinse and drain cooked noodles. Pour sauce over noodles and toss well.

For babies 10 months and older:
Omit sauces. Cut plain noodles into bite-size pieces and serve.

Variation for children:
Try serving the sauce on the side and letting children dip the noodles in the sauce.


From "Feeding the Whole Family-Recipes for Babies, Young Children and Thier Parents" by Cynthia Lair, pg 101

White Bean Dip

This recipe turned out super delicious, and Cara did most of the work!

1 1/2 cups dry cannellini or other white beans soaked and cooked, or onw 15-ounce can
3 tablespoons olive oil

plus either

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large clove garlic, minced finely or put through press

or

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, minced finely or put through press
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon dill (frozen or dried)
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to tast, and drizzle a bit more olive oil over the surface if you like. Serve with crackers, bread or veggies.


From "Eating Close to Home" by Elin Kristina England, pg 43

breakfast ideas

I just found this blog with a variety of soaked grain breakfast recipes.
I haven't tried any yet but they sound amazing.

www.passionatehomemaking.com:recipe-index.webloc

Planning on Canning Tuna

Anyone know the season for canning tuna? Emily and I have been talking about it, anyone else in?

Blueberry Muffins (w/ wheat and dairy-free options)

"These sweet, buttery muffins are delicately spiced, with a cakelike texture. Fresh blueberries are best, but if you have only frozen berries, stir them into the batter without thawing, or their dark juice will turn the muffins purple." (Is this a bad thing?!)

2 C all-purpose flour (for wheat free, use 1 C buckwheat + 1 C oat or rice flour)
2/3 C sugar (I use Sucanat)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 C milk (I use hazelnut or almond milk, coconut would probably work well, too)
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (I use coconut or sunflower oil)
2 eggs
1 cup blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter (oil) standard muffin tins.

In a medium bowl, stir and toss together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter and eggs until smooth. Add the combined dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Add the blueberries and stir just until evenly incorporated.

Spoon into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup about three-fourths full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 15 - 20 minutes. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then remove. Makes about 16 standard muffins.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Series, "Muffins & Quick Breads", by John Phillip Carroll.

vegan chocolate cake . . . yumm!

Big Momma Freedom Chocolate Cake
from Vegan World Fusion Cuisine, by Mark Reinfeld and Bo Rinaldi of the Blossoming Lotus, Kaua'i

DRY
2 1/2 C Spelt Flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
2 C Sucanat
3/4 C Cocoa Powder
1 12 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Sea salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder

WET
6 Tbl Safflower oil (I used Sunflower)
2 1/4 C Filtered water
2 Tbl Apple cider vinegar, raw
1 tsp Vanilla extract, alcohol free

Loving Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl. Add wet to dry and mix well. Pour into a parchment paper lined 9" X 13" baking pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 35 - 40 minutes.

Amy's Notes: I used an oiled 11" springform pan which worked fabulously. Also, I baked the cake for 35 minutes on the middle rack - when I checked it, it wasn't done in the middle, so I moved it to a lower shelf in the oven and cooked for an additional 15 - 18 minutes.

Options ~

Vegan Fusion Frosting Recipe (which I did not make - see next option)
2 C Chocolate chips
12.3 oz Silken firm tofu or ripe avocado
2 Tbl Maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract, alcohol free

Place chocolate chips in a double broiler on medium heat until chips are melted, stirring frequently. Combine with the remaining indredients and blend or food process until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until it thickens. Cool cake before frosting.

~ OR ~

Raspberry Sauce

1 pint raspberries
1 tsp lemmon or orange juice (I used lemon)
1 Tbs maple syrup, honey or agave nectar (I used maple syrup)

Put in blender and blend until smooth.

Serving suggestions ~
I placed some raspberry sauce on the plate and put the cake on top of it, and then drizzled some on the top of each piece. Other suggestions from VF are to garnish with toasted coconut flakes, strawberries (or any favorite berry!), toasted pecans and/or chocolate chips.

Variation: replace chocolate chips and cocoa powder with carob chips and carob powder.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Ideas

Here's what I wrote down when we were talking breakfast last night. I'm sure I missed ideas so feel free to post them in the comments. I'm just going to write the basic ideas-- there are endless toppings and variations.

- quinoa, soaked overnight in water then drained and cooked in coconut milk

- porridge of equal parts amaranth, quinoa and millet

- fried leftover porridge pancakes (mix with egg and fry up)

- homemade granola (ex. "extreme granola" on Epicurious)

- leftover cornbread with fried eggs or topped with warm milk and molasses

- muffins with yogurt

- toast with almond butter and jam or honey

- scrambled eggs with veggies

- breakfast burritos

- add shredded carrot to oatmeal

- next day french toast: butter a pan and both sides of bread, pour egg/ milk/ cinnamon/ salt mixture over bread, cover and chill overnight, cook in morning at 425 for 15-18 minutes

-- Heather

French Green Lentil Salad (warm or room temp)

Hi, mamas. Here's a link to the lentil salad my family loved. It was really fast and easy. I can't remember what I served it with but the posting has lots of suggestions.

Thanks for a great night last night. With the time change especially, it felt reminiscent of my band days to be coming home so late.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2006/11/cheap_caviar_1.html

-- Heather

Resource List

JENN'S RECIPES/BLOGS:

• 101 cookbooks

• Cookus Interruptus

• World’s Healthiest Foods (whfoods.org)

• Mighty Foods

• Paula-Wolfert.com

• CHOW

• Mark Bittman blog

• Chocolate and Zucchini

• Smitten Kitchen

• Hannah’s Country Kitchen (hannahscountrykitchen.blogspot.com)

• Mexico Cooks

• Gourmet Sleuth

• Serious Eats

• Eating Asia (eatingasia.typepad.com)

• The Boy Done Food (theboydonefood.blogspot.com)

• Thai Recipes Kitchen (thaiimport.com)

• Sanjeev Kapoor

• San Luis Obispo County Farmers (slocountyfarmers.org)

• Laptop Lunches

• Lunch in a Box (lunchinabox.net/recipes)

BREAD BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EMILY:

recipes/guidelines from The Bread Builders (which Mazzi from Hideaway recommended -- also includes plans for building a wood-fired bread oven), The Village Baker (traditional European bread recipes), and The Tassajara Bread Book (good ol' hippie classics).

COOKBOOKS:

Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair

Nourishing Traditions Cookbook

Nourishing Traditions Cookbook

The Ancient Cookfire – Carrie L’Esperance

Italian Easy – Recipes from the London River Café by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

The Japances Kitchen by Hiroko Shimbo

Vegetable Every Day by Jack Bishop

Tassajara Cooking by Edward Brown

The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas

Vegan World Fusion Cuisine: Healing Recipes & Timeless Wisdom from our Hearts to Yours by Mark Reinfeld and Bo Rinaldi

Best Ever Curry Cookbook by Mridula Baljekar

Eating Close to Home by Elin Kristina England

Mama Nature’s Bar & Grill by Dan Vishny

Kundalini Cookbook by Ek Ong KAr Singh and Jacquiline Koay

Fast Whole Food by Maria Middlestead

South of the Sahara: Traditional Cooking from the Lands of West Africa by Elizabeth A. Jackson

Horn of the Moon by Ginny Callan

The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Molly Katzen

Laurel's Kitchen by Molly Katzen

Farmer John Cookbook from A to Z by Farmer John

From Asparagus to Zucchini

Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children and Infants by Mary Bove

Hungry Planet by Peter Merigel and Faith D'Alvisio

Real Food for Healthy Kids by Tracy Seaman and Tonya Wenman

FOOD GEAR/KITCHENWARE:

I have and recommend the Family Grain Mill (attaches to my Kitchen Aid mixer); it has a plastic casing, but the grinding mechanism is steel. Here is a link if you are interested: http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/family_grain_mills.asp. This company lists it for 89.95 with free shipping. It is definitely a great mill for the price; I use it all the time. The one I REALLY want (but am having a tough time justifying the high price tag) is the Country Living Grain Mill ($395-sighL). Here is a link if you would like to dream with me... http://www.homestead-products.com/mills-countryliving.htm. If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, there is a discussion about different grain mills and their benefits/drawbacks: http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/index.aspx#CLM.

MOVIES:

Food, Inc.

GMO Trilogy (2 DVD set)

Sourdough Crumpets

Hi mamas,

Looking for something to do with your extra sourdough starter? I was, until I found this great recipe (again from the C&Z website). I don't have crumpet rings, so mine turned out more like bubbly pancakes, but they were quite tasty with butter and jam nonetheless. Her pictures look beautiful (here's the link...http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2010/01/sourdough_crumpets_with_natural_starter.php), and have inspired me to seek out some rings to make my crumpets more fluffy. Enjoy!

Peacamole

Hi mamas,



I can't claim this recipe as my own, and I haven't even made it yet. However, it looks easy to prepare and delicious as a snack for our kiddos (and ourselves). I found it on the C&Z website. Here's the link: http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2009/03/green_pea_cilantro_spread.php

I am planning to bring some to our gathering this Saturday so we can run a mamas taste test:)

Winter Farmers' Market Question

Hey Mamas:

I've been ordering from ELF lately, but I'm wondering what kind of vendors are at the two Saturday farmers' markets here in Eugene. I know that there is one at Hideaway each Saturday, and one every other Saturday downtown. Does anyone know who is selling at those two locations? Is Deck there, by any chance?

Hummingbird Order

Hi Mamas:

We are placing our next Hummingbird orders on the 13th! If you can post some preliminary thoughts on what you might order in the comments section here, we can begin to figure out who might be sharing what.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Quick Recipes

Here are the notes I took when we talked about quick recipes at Emily's last month. I'd be happy to edit this post with any others you'd like to add, or you could create your own list and link to this post. This is one we'll surely want to add to...

• Toast sesame, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds and set aside. Sauté cooked chunks of sweet potatoes in coconut oil with cumin, paprika, garlic granules, salt and pepper. Toss seeds back in and stir to coat. Serve warm or cold.
• Cook Asian rice noodles. Chop veggies, garlic, and ginger and stir fry with protein in toasted sesame oil. Add cooked noodles to stir fry and toss to coat.
• Quinoa and vegetables
• Black beans, squash or sweet potatoes, cheese (optional), quesadillas
• Cooked beans mixed with pesto pureed into a dip
• White bean, olive oil, parmesan dip
• Grated carrots (optional burdock) with dressing: tamari or shoyu, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds
• Canned salmon or tuna into burgers with sautéed veggies
• Wilted green salad (dump sautéed garlic, nuts and salt over greens)
• Miso soup with udon noodles (wide noodles)
• Fried rice with egg and veggies
• Leftover rice in a bowl with some veggies; pour hot tea or broth over it
• Noodle or grain with peanut sauce and pan fried protein and boiled veggies (Almond Ginger Drizzle online)
• Fried eggs with leftover rice and greens
• Baked eggs in polenta nests (3.5 cups water to 1 c. polenta for quick cooking; with salt; cook about 15 minutes)
• Leftover rice and lentils with veggies into a burger

What can we have for snack?

Here's the list of snack ideas generated at our first meeting (at least, what I wrote down). If you have ideas to add to this list, you can either email me and I'll edit this post, or you could create your own post and include a link to this one in it.

• popcorn (popped in coconut oil with spirulina and brewer's yeast)
• almond butter on nori
• "energy balls" of raw cocoa powder, date paste, nuts/ nut butter, seeds, spirulina, etc.
• fried mush (leftover porridge plus egg, fried like a pancake)
• nuts and dried fruit (offer nuts second to help get fruit off teeth)
• celery sticks with cream cheese/ nut butter/ ants on a log
• stuffed dates
• lettuce wraps
• leftover roasted veggies dipped in bean dip, etc.
• mochi
• thin sliced taters/ sweet taters, baked
• parmesan melted on whatever healthy treat
• homemade crackers from the nourishing traditions cookbook, dipped in bean dip, etc.
• avocado cocoa powder pudding

Carrot Timbales

I found this recipe in an old Kitchen Gardener magazine I was looking through for a crafts project. They make fun individual portions. Next time I might make it into a single soufflé just to be quicker.

I forgot to save a carrot for the decorative top (see below), and when I turned mine out they stuck, so the flower might be both decorative and functional.

• 1 1/4 lbs. carrots, peeled
• 3 Tbs. oil or butter
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• parsley or scallion for garnish

Thinly slice all but one carrot. Cook the sliced carrots, with the oil or butter, in a heavy, covered saucepan over a low flame for 30-40 minutes. Allow the carrots to cool slightly, then purée.

Preheat the oven to 325. Stir the eggs, salt, and paprika into the puréed carrots. Add the yogurt and purée together for 1 minute.

Prepare six 1/2-cup timbales (I used 1/2 pint wide mouth mason jars) by greasing them lightly with butter. Using a sharp knife, cut five or six lengthwise grooves in the remaining carrot, then slice it horizontally so the pieces resemble flowers. Place a carrot "flower" in the bottom of each cup and add small pieces of parsley or scallions as "stems". The bottom of the cups will be the top of the finished timbale.

Carefully spoon the carrot purée into the cups until they are full. Place the cups in a pan just large enough to hold them all. Bring a kettle of water to a boil, then remove it from the head. Fill the pan with enough of the hot water to come 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up the sides of the timbales. Bake in the hot water bath for 30-35 minutes. Unmold gently by running a knife around the sides of the timbales. Serve warn or slightly chilled.

Valentine’s Raw Cacao Aphrodisiac Elixir

This sounds too good to be true! Have not tried it, but hope to soon. Much love!

Valentine’s Raw Cacao Aphrodisiac Elixir – You have to try it to believe it!
Courtesy of Jennifer Murray and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw

Every ingredient in this beverage is an aphrodisiac designed by nature to enhance your senses. This elixir is a marriage of flavor with none overpowering the others. Don’t omit the salt; it is the spark that lights the fuse.

Makes 4 cups

1 cup almonds
2 (3- in.) cinnamon sticks
1/4 tsp. whole cloves
6 green cardamom pods
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped small
4 cups water
4 dried figs, soaked in 1 cup filtered water
2 tablespoon raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon rosewater
Pinch of salt

1. Place almonds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, ginger, and 2 cups water in a blender, and blend, for 20 seconds gradually going from low speed to high speed, for 20 seconds. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Rinse the blender well, and return spiced water to the blender.

2. Add figs, and fig soak water, cacao powder, vanilla extract, rosewater, salt, and remaining 2 cups water. Blend on low speed for 20 to 30 more seconds more or until figs are well blended.

(Amy's note ~ I'm guessing that soaking the almonds overnight would be a good idea :)

Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dhal

Emily's post on red lentil tomato soup (which I have made and LOVE) reminded me of this favorite slow cooker recipe. Crock pot meals can be tricky for me-- as easy as they are, the results can be a bit like "cafeteria food" (to quote my husband). This one seems to work for us for some reason.

A few tweaks:

1) I use more liquid than called for, perhaps double if it fits. It seems my slow cooker tends to let off quite a bit of steam.

2) I replace the water with homemade chicken stock.

3) You could add bits of cooked chicken to make it meatier (I know some of our guys prefer this).

Feel free to be flexible with whatever vegetables and spices you have on hand. I've never made this the same way twice, depending on what's in season.

I found this online at the Ottowa Foodies Wiki.

Vegetables

• 1 potato, cubed
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• ½ small cauliflower, florets separated
• 1 small onion, chopped
• ½ red pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini
• ~6 large mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 cup some frozen peas

Lentils

• 1 ½ cups dry red lentils

Spices

• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 ½ tsp mustard powder
• 3 tsp turmeric
• 2 ½ tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 3 slices ginger, thickly sliced
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ground black pepper to taste

Liquids

• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil or margarine
• 400ml coconut milk
• 400ml water

Directions

1. In the slow cooker, combine all of the vegetables except for the peas. Firmer vegetables should go at the bottom, mushy ones on top.
2. Add lentils.
3. Add spices.
4. Add liquids.
5. Cook for 7-9 hours on low, 3-4 hours on high or until the lentils have dissolved. Add the peas, cook for 10 minutes more.
6. Serve with basmati rice, naan or other flat bread.

Creamy Rosemary, Tomato, and Lentil Soup

This is one of our go-to suppers for those evenings when we haven’t been to the store in awhile. When our hands are busy with the kids, the only real prep we have to do is chop the onion. I recommend that you make a triple batch so that you have some to freeze and some to eat the next day at lunch. We use olive oil or butter here, but I'm sure that you could some some other oil or fat if you prefer.

1 onion, chopped

a few cloves of garlic, minced

aromatic vegetables (carrots, celery, leeks, or whatever else you have on hand), chopped

olive oil or butter

1 32 oz. can tomatoes, with their juice

2 cups good chicken stock, or water

½ cup red lentils

salt to taste

large handful minced fresh rosemary (optional)

greens, roughly chopped (kale is a favorite here)

Heat some olive oil (scant ¼ cup?) in a soup pot. Add the onions, salt to taste, and cook over medium heat until softened but not browned. Add the garlic, rosemary and aromatic veg (if using), and allow the garlic to soften as well. Add tomatoes, lentils, and broth or water, salting to taste. Bring to a simmer and then turn heat to medium low (or whatever heat the soup simmers gently at on your stove). Simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are creamy and falling apart, (at least 1 1/2 hours for us). Do remember to stir the soup occasionally, though it doesn't need much attention if the heat is low enough. We often putter around the garden or go for a short walk after we get this going IF the heat is right. We've also put this in a 300 degree oven and gone for a longer walk: we call this the poor man's crockpot.

When the lentils are completely soft, check the seasonings and adjust as necessary. Puree with an immersion blender, or use a food mill or regular blender. If adding greens, return the soup to your saucepan and toss the chopped or torn greens on top. Turn up the heat to medium and steam the greens.

Sometimes we swirl a dollop of pesto or green goddess into each bowl for variety. Delicious with salmon broiled in herbed and oiled breadcrumbs and a salad of some kind.

Nut Butter Granola

I'm so excited to pick up my giant bag of oats tomorrow so that I can do some baking with my kids this weekend! Here is a recipe we tried recently and adapted to suit our tastes. (I can't remember where on the internet we found the original recipe. Let me know if you spot it!) We were baking something else in our oven when we made it, so we put all the granola in one baking sheet. Our results were chewy and stuck together quite well -- something like those granola recipes that call for an egg white. Because we baked it in one thick layer, we scored a few granola bars when the pan was just out of the oven, and left the rest for granola. If you're trying for granola bars instead of granola, you may want to skip the step of toasting the nuts and just stir some chopped nuts directly into your oat mixture before it goes in the oven.

I wanted to take a photo of this to post here, but it was gobbled up very quickly by my granola-loving family. This took only 20 minutes or so to prepare, and it was easy for my children to participate in the process.

1/2 - 1 cup nuts
4 tablespoons butter or coconut oil (optional)
2/3 cup nut butter
1/3 - 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
big glug of vanilla
salt to taste (optional)
6 cups rolled oats (or rolled barley, rye, etc.)
good handful of flax or other seeds
dried fruit, if desired (we added some precious home-grown and dried strawberries to delicious effect)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toast nuts on a cookie sheet until lightly browned and pleasant-smelling. Spread them out to cool on a large cutting board and turn the heat up to 375.

While the nuts are toasting, melt the butter or coconut oil over medium-low heat in a 3 quart (or larger) saucepan. Add the nut butter, sweetener, vanilla, and salt to the pan and give everything a good stir. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients are well-combined.

Add the oats and seeds to your saucepan and stir well to combine. Spread the mixture out on one parchment-lined cookie sheet for granola bars, or two for standard granola. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chop the toasted and cooled nuts, then set aside.

If making granola bars, score the granola mixture into sections with a butter knife while still warm. Or set the granola aside to cool completely, then break into chunks, combine with dried fruit and toasted nuts, and seal in a large jar.

We love this with yogurt and applesauce or chopped apples. Yum!

Lamb and Lima Bean Stew

This is adapted from Hazel Demarco’s Bean & Lamb Shank Soup.

• 1 lb. dried lima beans (~2 cups)
• 1 lb. lamb meat for stewing
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt
• 4 c. chicken broth
• 2 c. water
• 3/4 c. finely chopped onion
• 3/4 c. finely chopped carrots
• 1/2 c. finely chopped celery (or omit/ replace it out of season)

1. Soak beans overnight.
2. In soup pot, brown lamb on all sides and pour off any fat.
3. Drain and rinse beans, and add to lamb with garlic, broth and water.
4. Cook partially covered, around 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Add vegetables and salt and cook another 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove lamb pieces, cut into smaller pieces, and return to soup.
7. Swirl in 2 Tbs. butter and serve.

Yields 6 servings.

NOTE: Can also use a lamb shank, cutting the meat off the bone in the final step. It may be cheaper and add flavor/ nutrients but it’s more work.

French Winter Beet Salad

This is from Fresh From the Garden Cookbook by Ann Lovejoy. It is well-liked by children, a nice balance of colors, and a good potluck item. It stores well in the fridge for a few days.

Salad:

• 3 crisp eating apples, peeled, cored & diced (I don't peel mine)
• Juice of one organic lemon
• 1 and 1/2 cups diced cooked beets
• 1 cup walnut halves, toasted
• 1 bunch flat Italian parsley, stemmed

Dressing:

• grated zest of half to one organic lemon
• 2 Tbs. wine vinegar (I like white or apple cider)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbs. dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Prepare dressing:

In a jar, combine lemon zest, vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Cover tightly, shake well to emulsify, and set aside.

Prepare salad:

In a serving bowl toss the apples gently with the lemon juice. Add the beets and walnuts, toss again with the dressing, and serve garnished with parsley.

Pop the champagne cork!

Welcome, cooking mamas! We should be able to post recipes, tips, questions, etc. for each other. Later in the week I plan to add some of our favorite soup recipes, and maybe our empanada recipe. Let's try to use the label feature each time we post something so that we can search our vast archives easily -- hah!

Email me if you have any questions.