Jicama and spinach caserole

This is my first time working with Jicama. I saw it in the store the other day and decided to give it a try. I read a few recipes I had for it, most called for it raw in salads or cooked and mashed like potatoes. I decided to grate it up to give it an interesting texture, and pair it with spinach and a creamy cheesy sauce. Yummy! It turned out pretty good.

Caserole Body

1 Jicama Peeled and Grated

1 Bunch Spincah, Washed

The green ends off of 2-3 Scallions

1 Cup toased Bread Crumbs

Creamy "Cheesy" Sauce

2 Tbs. Vegan butter or oil

2 Tbs. Flour

1&1/2 Cup "So delicious" coconut drink or dairy alternative

2 Tbs. Nutritional Yeast flakes

1/2 cup Cashew "cheese sauce"(recipe in nutritional yeast post)

Garlic and onion powder

Salt and Pepper

Heat butter alternative or oil in small sauce pan. Add flour and let this cook a few minutes, stirring. Warm dairy alternative and add to flour mixture. Whisk this over medium heat, bring to a boil. When it reaches a boil, add the rest of the ingredients and mix thuroughly. remove from heat and let sit a minute.

Peel the jicama and cut in half. Grate and by the handful, squeeze excess liquid from grated jicama. Grease up a small caserole dish. Line the bottom with the first half of the grated jicama. Pour in some sauce, enough to moisten the jicama. Cut the root ends from washed spinach and rough chop. Rough chop scallion ends and layer them and spinach on top of the jicama. Now layer the other half of the grated and squeezed Jicama. Pour on remaining sauce. Sprinkle on lightly toasted bread crumbs. Cook in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.

Artisan Bread Baking

It has been a while since I baked any bread, but it seems I still got the touch. This is the easiest, foolproof recipe I have found that makes amazing bread every time. There are a few easy tricks you can do to ensure a perfect loaf with a nice crispy crust. This recipe should make 2 large loaves or you can also use it for pizza crusts, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls or whatever baked goods you love. If you only want to make one loaf of bread now, you can stick the other half of the dough in the fridge to use later. The dough will continue to rise in the fridge, so make sure it is in a container with some head room. The dough will become stronger in "sour" flavor the longer it is in the fridge and will last up to a week.

The Dough
3 Cups Warm to the touch Water
1&1/2 Tbs. Active Dry Yeast
1&1/2 Tbs. Sea Salt
6-6&1/2 Cups Unbleached White Flour

A few things that will make this process easier
Pizza Stone(mandatory for a panless loaf)
Large Pizza Peel
Some sort of "form" for your loaf  to rise in (I use a smaller sized lined colander)
Squirt bottle full of fresh water
Sharp knife or razor blade for scoring top of loaf
Good sharp serrated knife for cutting fresh bread

Pour the water into a large bowl. Add the yeast and let disolve a few minutes..i swish it around with my fingers till its fully disolved. Next add the Salt and let this disolve also. When all is disolved in the water, add the flour. Mix till all of the flour is incorporated. You now have a nice wet dough. For the loaf above, I happened to have a piece of dough from my last batch left over from the weekend, so I added that in to the new dough. The old dough had a slight sour quality from having sat around for a few days, and this imparted a nice flavor into the bread. You can now do 1 of 2 things, Either knead the crap out of this dough, or let it sit and rise and develope the gluten naturally. So, when you Knead dough you are trying to physically align and stretch those gluten fibers, which will happen naturally through the rising process, it just takes a little longer. I choose to do a little of both. I put the dough in my Kitchen Aid and mixed for about 10-15 minutes. If you were only going to knead, you would want to knead about 45 minutes to get the dough ready to go. If you are going with rise only, that should take about 4 hours. I kneaded with my Kitchen Aid for 10-15 min, and then let it rise for about 2 hours.
Now you are ready to form your loaf(s). You can use a loaf pan if you prefer a nice even shaped loaf of bread. If you are like me and you like a more rustic loaf, there are a few different things you can do.

I use a smaller sized colander lined with a well floured tea towel. You can buy fancy little baskets that are made especially for rising loaves of bread in, this is the thrifty way of doing it. So, I form a "ball shape" called a boul, and let it rise, bottom side up in my lined collander. You can also, generously dust a large pizza peel with flour or corn meal and let the boul rise free form on here. It will flatten out quite a bit during the rise and you will end up with a flatter larger loaf than if you rise it in a form. You want to let it sit covered with plastic wrap, for another 45 min to hour once you have your loaf formed. If you used a form you will need to lightly dust a pizza peel with flour or corn meal and flip your loaf out and onto the peel once the second rise is complete. This can be a tricky move, and will come easier with practice. Working quickly, as the formed loaf will quickly start to flatten and spread once flipped onto the peel. You want to make long "slices" into the top of the loaf to allow air to escape during the cooking process. If you dont make these cuts your air will find its own way to escape and you will end up with a loaf of bread with large eruptions in it. You want to score the top even if you are using a loaf pan.

You want your oven seriously hot when cooking this bread, I heat mine to 500. I turn the oven on when the loaf is in its final rising stage, so after it is in the lined colander. So, now you have your scored loaf on the dusted pizza peel and your oven is raging hot! If you have a (water only)squirt bottle around, fill it with fresh water and, working quickly, spritz the inside of your oven genrously and shut the door trapping the steam in. The steam will help form a nice crispy crust on your bread. Now quickly slide the pizza peel onto the pizza stone, and push the loaf onto the stone. Spritz once more generously with the water and shut the door. DO NOT OPEN THE  OVEN DOOR FOR THE FIRST 10 MINUTES OF BAKING! You dont want to let out any of that steam you worked so hard to get in there. Bake for 40-50 minutes, turning the loaf once to cook evenly. Your loaf is done when it is a deep brown on top and Hollow sounding when tapped lightly on the bottom side. You really want to error on the over done side here. Some amazing flaovers develop in the crust when it gets that nice carmelized color. And when removed too soon the inner "crumb" will be soggy and dense. Once removed from the oven, let the loaf cool completely before cutting. Trust me, its worth the wait. I have been baking bread for about 5 years now, mostly with this super simple recipe. You can substitute in 1 cup of whole wheat flour, any more than that and it will serously affect your recipe. You really want a good Serrated knife when cutting into this beautiful loaf, anything else will end up mangling your hard work. I apologize for any misspelled words..I couldnt get spell check to work for me today on here, damn technology anyway...

Thai Peanut Bowl

Well, unfortunately you cant tell by the picture, but there is Brown Rice and Fresh Spinach in there. I had something similar to this at Choco Canyon Organic Cafe last summer, and loved it. There is a scoop of Brown Rice, fresh chopped Spinach(from my garden!!), Sauteed Veggies, and a lovely, Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce. Topped with Toasted Sesame Seeds and chopped Scallions, I even outdid myself with this one! Alex was telling me This is called a Swimming Rama in the Thai restaurants.(I'm sure mine is better ;)

Brown Rice
3 Cups Veggie Stock
2 tsp. each Onion & Garlic Granules
Salt&Pepper
1&1/2 Cups Brown Rice

Combine Stock and Spices and bring to a boil. Add rice and bring back to a boil. Turn down, cover with a lid and let cook till all the water is absorbed, about 30-35 minutes.

Sauteed Veggies
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Yellow Crook Neck Squash
A Few Broccoli Florettes
2 Large Carrots
 Honestly, you could really use whatever veggies you had laying around that needed to go. Or whatever veggies your family likes to eat. Chop all in med size chunks and saute lightly in a little cooking oil. Salt & Pepper

Chopped Spinach

So when Alex got home from work I was telling him my plan for dinner. About how I had had this dish last summer and was really excited to have recreated it with things we already had in the fridge. I was however, bummed that we did not have the fresh spinach layer. He looked at me like I was crazy and said, Uh, what about the fresh spinach from the garden? Good lord, I had forgotten about that! I am obviously still stuck in winter mode, and forgot we have some food growing in the front yard! I planted said spinach last fall, and really, kinda forgot it was out there. It had started to sprout when Alex put the hoops over the garden, But has gone crazy the last few weeks! The leaves I cut and used for dinner last night were all the size on my entire hand! It was really "thick" for spinach and tasted great! The amazing taste and extra nutrients from home grown veggies never ceases to amaze me. For this dish I left the pieces a little large, they will wilt slightly from the heat on the other cooked ingredients.

Thai Peanut Sauce
1 Cup water
1/4 Cup Adams Crunchy Peanut Butter
1-2 Tbs Braggs Liquid Amino Acids, or Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tbs. Rice Wine Vinegar
2 tsp. each Onion and Garlic Granules(You could also use these fresh, lightly sauteed )
1/2 to 1 Tbs. Honey
1-2 tsp. Sriracha Chili Garlic Sauce or other Chili Sauce

Combine water and Peanut Butter in a small sauce pan. Heat on medium heat till combined, stirring constantly (I may have learned that one the hard way!) Once combined add remaining ingredients. Reduce on low heat until it reached the consistency you want for your sauce. You can always add more water if it gets too thick. Salt and Pepper!

So to serve, I used a large Ice Cream scoop to dish the rice. Then sprinkled with chopped spinach. Layer on the veggies, the heat will slightly wilt the spinach. Drizzle on the sauce, and sprinkle with seeds and scallions. If you had Peanuts on hand..a few chopped would be great on here also. As soon as I have more hand sized spinach leaves, I will for sure be making this one again!

BBQ Marinated Tofu samich with slaw and radish sprouts

I have been feeling a bit uninspired on the food front, I just hate it when that happens. We have been eating out a bit more lately than we did the previous couple months. I feel like I'm getting my groove back though. This one was a real winner, although, if I had it to do over again, I would give the marinade more time to soak up. We were super hungry and in a hurry to get dinner on the table so it was only in the marinate for maybe 2 hours. I would say 4-5 is minimum. I was craving BBQ and this hit the spot.

Tofu BBQ Marinate
1 Cup Braggs Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Canola Oil
2 Tbs. Honey
Squirt of Sriracha Sauce
Chili Powder, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt & Pepper

Wrap Tofu in Paper towels and squeeze and press the water out. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch slices laying them on paper towels and cover with paper towels to blot off remaining water. Pour Marinate into shallow baking dish and lay sliced tofu on top. After 1-2 hours in marinate flip tofu pieces.  After 4-5 hours to overnight in the marinate fry in hot oil till dark brown on both sides.

Slaw
2 Cups shredded Cabbage
2 Shredded Carrots
Handful of diced Snap Peas
2 Sliced and chopped Scallions
Toss with about 1/2 cup of the marinate from tofu

I served this on Daves Awesome Bread, but it would have been lovely on some homemade Whole Wheat buns as well. The Radish Sprouts really gave it a nice spicy crunch and acted in place of lettuce. I also sliced up a couple potatoes and dusted them with flour and spices. Then baked them in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes. This was my take on a BBQ Samich with fries. It was a good healthy alternative that I will be making again for sure!

Fruit Leather and Seed Sprouting

One of those things is easier than the other! I have made several attempts at fruit leather and have only gotten one of them right. In the above picture is my first successful batch of Strawberry fruit leather. They are super yummy and the texture is right on. This same day I also made a Mango leather, which was just about done when I put it back in the oven because it was still a little bit tacky to the touch. One thing you want when making fruit leather is for it to be totally not sticky on top. So, I put it back in the oven, but I think I forgot to turn the oven down as low as it would go, leaving it at 350. The plastic wrap fused to the bottom side of the fruit leather and I could not get it off. I can see why this method of storing fruit is so good for folks with excess fruit, but not so good when your paying full price for it. I think I will wait to try more when I have tons of cherries from moms tree to work with. I would also love to perfect some Apple leather, shouldn't be a problem finding extra apples this fall in my hometown of Selah,Wa!

Strawberry Fruit Leather
2 Lbs. Strawberries stemmed and cored
1/2 Cup Honey

                                        Mango(before I killed it ) & Strawberry fruit leather

Cut Strawberries in half and put them in a large pot with honey and cook till just soft. About 30 Minutes.  Put in the blender and blend till smooth. I leave the seeds in, I kinda like the crunch and that's where all the fiber lives. If you wanted you could put this through a jelly bag to remove seeds. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap or silicone mat and spread mixture as evenly as possible. You want it about 1/4 inch thick. The optimum temp is somewhere between 130-150 degrees for drying fruit leather. My oven only goes down to 170 so its a little too hot. I have a warming drawer, it holds at about 130, so its about perfect. It will take about 6-8 hours and you want to keep the drawer/oven door open a cracker to allow moisture to escape. After about 5 hours start checking, its done when it is no longer sticky to the touch. Let cool and rip or cut into the sizes you want. I stored mine in wax paper tied with my old bulk food ties! REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!

SPROUTS!

                                                              (Mung Bean Sprouts)

This combines two of my favorite things, Good healthy food and Vintage canning jars. I have been into sprouting seeds for a long time. It comes and goes from my life, like a lot of things. It is a super easy, inexpensive way to get nutrients that are yummy added to a variety of dishes. I put them in salads, on Sandwiches, in my Spring Rolls, In my Pasta dishes and they are also good on scrambled eggs. We have all seen the plastic boxes full of sprouts in the grocery store. If this is what you think of when you hear "sprouts", think again. Those are alfalfa sprouts and they are just the tip of the iceberg in the sprouting world(if there was such a thing). LOL. Who wants to eat Alfalfa? not me. But who wants to eat radishes, broccoli, and Sunflower seeds? Heck yes I do! Turns out you can sprout all of these seeds and they have a hint of the veggie flavor you would expect from the full grown veggie. Radish sprouts are spicy and sunflower sprouts are very nutty. And unlike the white Mung Bean spouts we are all used to, I let mine get a nice set of green leaves. You Can pick up plastic sprouting lids at a variety of places. I have seen them for sale in a 3 pack at PCC in Seattle recently. You can use any jar that the lid will fit onto without leaking everywhere. You can also get the little trays, I have tried 2 different ones and found them to be a super big pain in the ass really. Im all for the jars. You can also use the rings that come with canning jars and cut a piece of fiber type screen to fit inside your ring. I know some folks also sprout in a wet paper towel on a plate. Get creative! Sprouting seeds are pretty readily available also. I have seen them at PCC, Whole Foods and in gardening centers in the same section with the garden seeds. Simply put some in the jar and soak overnight. Then drain off water and keep them damp till they are ready to eat. I rinse mine daily to keep any old water rinsed off.

Worm Bin

If somebody would have told me 5 years ago that I would be keeping bees and worms, I would have told them they were crazy. As it turns out, by most standards, I'm the crazy one. I have a box of worms, garbage and food scraps outside my back door. And I think they are the coolest things around(next to my box of bees in the back yard of course!) It all started with the above book, WORMS eat my garbage. I read it on the bus in the mornings on my way to work, and Alex read most of it over my shoulder. This book outlines the benefits of composting with worms, and also includes step by step instructions on building your own bin. We decided it was an easy enough way to recycle old food, while building awesome black gold for our garden.  Basically you give these guys a wormy habitat to live in, feed them your food scraps and they poop out gardening gold! The optimum wormy habitat means, yard debris, shredded news paper, Leaves, basically anything you would find in piles in your back yard. Make a nice bed for them layering debris and shredded paper, this layer keeps it nice and dry in your worm bin. We made the mistake of letting our bin get too wet and got an infestation of maggots, ewwwww. If it gets too dry the worms will literally dry up and die. When adding food scraps, you find a spot, dig a hole in the bedding and dump in your scraps. Cover all food scraps well, We also found out the hard way, that uncovered food scraps will attract local vermin.

 This is the worm bin we have that Alex built last summer. We started with a large Rubbermaid bin in the garage which worked well, but what you really want is 2 sides available. One side with active worms and plenty of bedding that you feed food scraps, and the other side mostly empty. When you decide the side with the worms is ready to harvest, you start adding bedding and fresh food scraps to the empty side. The worms will naturally be drawn to the fresh food, leaving the "ready to go" side to be used. You then sift out the big chunks with a screen and use the smaller stuff that falls through. The square thing sitting there is a wooden framed screen, for sifting out the big chunks from the usable worm compost. You can see the one side is mostly empty, Alex sifted it all out last weekend and Now I have this lovely wheel barrow of ready to use compost! The benefits of worm compost are numerous. You can also make what is called "worm tea", by taking a cloth bag full of fresh worm compost and Submerging it in water for a few days. You want to add an air stone to bubble the water while it steeps to keep the water from getting stagnant and funky. This can then be diluted and added to the water you water your plants with.

Not into worms? That's cool, you can still compost. The same basic thing can be done with out using worms, you just have to be a little more selective what you are putting in. Worm bins can handle dairy, meat scraps and bones, and cooking oil, where as you would not want to put these things in a wormless compost pile. If you are a gardener, and especially if you are an Organic gardener, Composting is a free or cheap way to reuse your scraps to make something awesome for your growing plants!

Farmers Market Goodness

The University District Farmers Market is Saturday morning from 9-2. We don't make it down there every week, but when we do, I am a happy girl. We got there Yesterday around 11, the sun was shinning and the market was packed. Last summer we often jumped on a 73 bus, which runs right in front of our house and drops us at the front gate of the Market. We had some other shopping to do yesterday, so we drove. Parking is pretty good, we usually find something within a few blocks. A regular purchase for us is farm fresh eggs. I remember having chickens when I was younger and being totally grossed out by the weird bright orange yolks. And when my mom told me that was from eating bugs and weeds in the garden, I longed for the "normal", pale yellow grocery store eggs. Boy how things have changed. I have been called a snob of many things in my life. Coffee snob, Yeah, I will fess up to that one. Food snob, yep, that one too. How could I have guessed I would one day be an egg snob? Well, folks, I am. And you should be too! The moms started raising chickens again a few years ago. Being the Local, Organic Food kinda gal that I am, I had to give those weird orange yolked things a try again. Oh man! The flavor is out of this world and don't even get me started on the increased nutritional value in free range eggs. So moms eggs have now set the bar...High! Those are the most gorgeous egg yolks around. And I have seen these ladies eat, they are treated well. Not only with a large yard to roam for bugs and grass, but mom feeds them leftovers and my brother the produce guy sends them boxes of fruit and veggie scraps! So, needless to say we are ecstatic when we get some of moms eggs, but unfortunately she lives on the other side of the state. So, when I cant have hers, I go for Goat eggs at the market. Goat eggs? you say? There is a super cool gal at the University District Farmers Market that sells Free Range Eggs along side Goat meat that she raises. Her Farm is Called Toboton Creek Ranch, and her eggs yolks measure up! The first time we purchased from her a few years ago, when approaching her stand I made a joke about the signs reading "goat eggs" and now she always remembers us when I mention wanting to buy some Goat eggs. Yesterday we also picked up some carrots and in the little box there are dry dragons tongue beans! I'm super excited to try them. The bag in the back holds Sunflower sprouts, also new for us. Alex got some dried peppers there and made chili last night that was so hot it about ran me out of the house! The two plastic wrapped packages with the little paper tags are fruit leather. My goal this year is to figure out how to make good thick fruit leather snacks. I have tried a few times and come close, but not exact. Alex just picked up a seal a meal, which i think will be handy for storing them once I perfect making them.

If Fresh eggs and veggies don't lure me there, the promise of fresh made Naan bread with a shmear of Cilantro garlic chutney will. Oh man, do I love this bread. You can see the guy in the top picture making them in his big portable Tandoor oven there. This folks, is why I would never make it on the Atkins diet. On the Menu is also; Chicken Masala, Veggie Masala, Dal, and a combo plate. We have never ventured past the Naan, but I imagine it is all good. 

I know some of you live in areas that only have Farmers Markets in the summer, but I hope you are taking full advantage of them when you can. The more people that shop there during the on season, the more reason they have to expand into the spring and fall months. It is a great way to see where your food is coming from and also to meet the people that are growing it. Often you will find fruits and veggies that you have never tried and some that are not available anywhere else. It is also a good way to get inspired to try a new hobby like canning or soap making. Get out there folks, Meet your farmers, and EAT MORE VEGGIES!

The Bechamel Trials

What the hell is a Bechamel (besh-a-mel). Hah, that rhymes! Wow, i think the new brand of coffee I switched to may have a higher caffeine content than my last..whoo! Anyway, Bechamel is just a fancy name for white sauce. I decided I wasn't too sure about using Almond milk in some of my recipes. The last few times I used it I noticed a sweet "off" flavor. I decided to try a few of the other milk alternatives out there and see how they stand up taste wise.

Soy, Rice, and Hemp made it into the running for "best milk alternative". Soy is 90 Calories per cup with 40 of those coming from fat. It is low in carbs, a mere 5 per cup serving. The flavor in the sauce was fairly neutral but I found it harder to get a smooth sauce out of it. The Rice Milk is 120 Calories with only 20 of those coming from fat. 23 Carbs per serving and this particular brand is enriched with Vitamins A, D, B and Calcium. I would prefer to get those things naturally and not added. With the low fat content its no surprised that this made a fairly translucent sauce. There was a slight sweet flavor that I was trying to avoid. The Hemp Milk was the winner in my book. It is Highest in calories and fat, big surprise. 140 Calories with 45 of those from fat. It is naturally high in Omega 3 & 6. The sauce this made was pretty damn good. Super smooth with a really nice Nutty flavor. At the end of my super Scientific Sauce Experiment this is the one I added a few things to and added to some Whole Wheat elbow pasta and made Hella Vegan Mac & Cheese.

This simple white sauce is one of the first things I remember learning how to make. My mom used this to thicken soups and sauces all the time. Using oil in place of butter is new to me, but with some spices in there, the butter is not missed. I started with 3 pans all with 2 TBS. of Canola Oil. Heated them up and added 2 Tbs. flour to each pan. Stirred them together and at this point we have an oil Rue. Let this "toast" till it turns a slight golden brown. Add 2 Cups warmed "milk" to each pan. Add salt and pepper to each and stir till thickened. Like I said, the Hemp won on flavor and texture.

Vegan Mac & Cheese

Take the above recipe for Hemp White Sauce and add the following.
3 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1/2 Tbs. Granulated Garlic
Salt and pepper to taste.

Some Whole Wheat Elbow Mac in there and BAM Lunch! You could also add all kindsa extras in this. Steamed Broccoli, Fresh chopped Tomato and Basil, Some Vegan Chili for Chili Mac! Woo Hoo. I think I will go for Hemp milk for most of my soups and sauces from now on. For Baking of sweet things I might use Rice, with the slight sweetness and low fat content I think it would work well. The soy, I don't know, I'm not a huge fan. I will keep an Almond milk in the pantry, I like the Almondy flavor in some places. So there it is, One girls Opinion. I'm off to the Farmers Market for some Goat Eggs! ;) Happy Saturday all.

Happiness is: Growing Things

If you are like me, a grower of things, then you know what this time of year means. When we see the first of the Hyacinth and Tulips poke their little heads through the ground, we are renewed with a sense that we may make it through another winter with some sanity intact. It is the first time in months we have seen signs of New growth, proof that there is a gardeners life after Winter. That was a small fib, considering I started seeds under a light weeks ago. And the excitement was similar when I saw the first little green shoots threatening to burst forth from the soil. There is just nothing else like watching things grow, when you have a passion for it. People have been doing it for thousands of years before me, but I swear when I have a bulb come back or an herb make it through the winter, I feel like the first person to have ever made such a thing happen. I want to climb on the roof top and yell, MY HIBISCUS IS BLOOMING EVERYONE! I'm here to admit it, I'm a huge gardening nerd! 

A peek under the covers! Alex was a dear and put hoop houses over my raised beds a couple weeks ago. Here is a look at some pretty happy Broccoli I put in shortly after the hoops went up. I am trying to start all of my own plants this year, in an attempt to make gardening make more sense financially. Some seeds can be thrown right in the dirt and sprouted and grown right in the same spot. Others need a good head start indoors. Right now I have 3 types of Tomatoes, And 4 Types of Peppers still growing under a light. I put Peas, Peppers, Radish and Romaine seeds right in the ground. Along with these Happy Broccoli starts I also put in Some not so happy Cauliflower, I'm thinking they may have been too small, oops! If there is one thing a gardener has to learn, it is this, every mistake is a chance to learn. And boy, I have made my fare share of mistakes. I figure some time in my 80's I may have this "hobby" figured out.

While out poking around in the Garden today, I noticed my Mason bees had hatched and taken off. You can see in the picture the tubes down there at the bottom have the little dirt plugs pushed out. How exciting! These guys are new to me, Lets hope they find their way back and lay more babies in the remaining tubes for next year. 

Perennials are a gardeners old stand by. For every Tomato that we have babied and coddled, there is a Hop plant guaranteed to come back every year. They die back in the fall and wait patiently under the snow for the first signs of spring. They are the first to poke their heads through the dirt, grow like crazy despite lack of water and attention(cause I'm over coddling some damn Tomato!) and then stick around until they finally give in and turn brown like the rest of the fall foliage.Alex is a home brewer and so these Hops get put to good use. Not only are they good for making beer, but hops also make a great soothing tea.

If I could only grow one thing, No doubt, it would be Herbs. This time of year is heavy with herbs. My chives are back looking full and tasting lovely. I also have Bay, Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley, and Thyme that either lived through the winter or are coming back with a vengeance. Fresh herbs are pretty expensive to buy in the store and super easy to grow yourself. Some may say they are a gateway to growing edibles. Fresh Herbs taste great and add a little something to most everything that you can cook up.

My garden is my sanctuary, and Gardening my drug of choice. I remember a time when folks used to walk by our house in Ballard and stop and comment on this or that in the garden. Alex would say, "oh, gardening is Lauras thing". Well, it took me a few years but I think I have him hook line and sinker. He is a huge gardening nerd too. I don't know how many times I found him in the garden staring at one plant or another. I'm sure he was waiting and watching the garden grow. I don't buy clothes or shoes, I buy plants. There is rarely jewelry in my shopping cart, but there is always a pack of seeds or two. If you have ever considered gardening, buy one herb this year and put it in the kitchen window. Just give it a try, if it dies or your not into it, well, you tried.  And if you are a big old gardening nerd like me, wear it with pride. The home gardener is the future of good food production, Some day, the rest of the world will catch on.

mediterranean Inspiration

I borrowed this recipe from a friends blog, http://veggielowcarb.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/cauliflower-falafel-goodness/. She makes some lovely low carb vegetarian food, thanks Kristin Stout! These are Cauliflower Falafels, and man are they awesome! They are super easy to make and can be served on a salad or in pita. I ate them with a shmear of hummus and some romaine lettuce in a Whole Wheat Pita Pocket. I was out of cucumbers but I usually would have some of those in my Pocket also!

Cauliflower Falafel
1 Cup Raw Cauliflower Florets, pulsed in the food processor 5-6 times. You want gravel size chunks here.
2 Tbs. Tahini
1/2 Cup raw almonds(I also threw in some pine nuts I needed to use up) Also pulsed in the food processor. Maybe a little smaller than gravel size for the nuts.
1 Tbs. Each Ground Cumin and Coriander
1 Clove Garlic
2 Tbs. Fresh chopped Parsley(I also had some oregano coming up in the garden so I chopped some of that up and tossed it in too!)
Salt and Pepper
2 Eggs
3 Tbs. Flour

Toss processed cauliflower and nuts in a bowl. Add spices and toss to coat. Add Tahini and eggs and mix thoroughly. Add in Flour and Fresh Herbs and mix well. Heat up a frying pan with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan(around 350 degrees). Drop in Tbs. size balls into the hot oil. fry on each side 3-4 minutes.

Hummus
1-1/2 Cup Soaked Chickpeas
1 Large Clove of Garlic
3 Tbs. Tahini
The juice of 3 med. size Lemons
1/4 Cup Olive oil
1/4 Cup water
Salt and Pepper

I cook my chickpeas and garlic together. I love the taste of fresh garlic, but it kills my stomach. I have found that it doesn't hurt me if I cook it, and it deposits HUGE flavor into the beans when cooked together. So cook beans and garlic until the beans are nice and soft. Drain and add to the food processor. Add Tahini, Lemon Juice and oil and pulse a few times. Add water a little at a time until you get the consistency you want. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. This is such versatile stuff! Use as a veggie dip and in place of mayo on sandwiches. Enjoy!

Beekeeping

When my Mother found out I wanted to keep bees, she was shocked. She said, "I cant believe this is the same girl that ducks and hides when ever a winged creatures comes around. The same girl that would swat at the air and yell, is it a bee?" It is true, I have always been afraid of bees, and let me tell you why. One of my earliest childhood memories started on a warm summer day in my hometown of Yakima. I had just finished a long day at the public pool when I saw my mom pull up in the parking lot. I lit out across the grassy field to her, when I was suddenly stopped short by what felt like a needle going into my foot. Being a young child, I instantly sat down to see what I had stepped on. Yep, you guessed, it..I got the same needle feeling in my ass. I remember sitting in that field feeling totally stranded, positive that if I moved again, I would surely step on more. I would like to say that mom was super sweet and supportive, telling me she was so sorry this had happened to me. But, If I know my mom she was probably laughing her ass off, I blocked that part of the memory out. This was my first encounter with a honey bee, and I had always hoped for it to be my last.

I have always been the kind of girl that liked to face her fears. I think its because I don't like to have things that limit my experiences. I also don't do well with "what ifs". Even if it turns out to be a mistake, at least I can learn from those. But "what ifs", those things can haunt you forever. Heights has always been a big one for me. I get that prickly feeling on the back of my neck and sometimes even get a little light headed. In some cases I have had the overwhelming urge to jump..I know, crazy right. So when I found myself cleaning a 14th floor penthouse condo with roof access, there was only one thing to do. I walked out on the ledge..maybe 2 feet wide. I stood there and imagined what it would be like to fall and when a strong wind came up, I actually felt myself being sucked away from the building. It was terrifying, invigorating, and stupid? Yeah, probably. But, I can tell you this, I don't sit here today and wonder what it would have been like to stand out on that ledge.

When I first heard that Seattle Tilth was having beekeeping classes I was intrigued. Being a gardener I'm always looking for healthy Organic ways to improve upon my gardens productivity and over all health. I thought, what the hell, theres no harm in taking a class. I signed Alex and I up for the class. Alex was a little hesitant, turns out there was a bee encounter in his past also. The class was taught by a local Seattle beekeeper, Corky. I'm not sure if it was his love of the subject, or my love of peoples reaction when I told them I took a beekeeping class, what ever it was, we signed up for the second beekeeping class. We were able to put in our order for our "package" of bees, and purchase our equipment from Corky also. This man literally gets an ear to ear smile on his face when he talks about bees. His love for these magnificent creatures is contagious.

I will admit it was a little Intimidating when 3-4 thousand bees showed up in this little box. And I had to get them from in there, to in their new home. At this point the bees are actually in "swarm" mode, so they have no interest in stinging me. There was a whole process involved, I will say it went off without a hitch.

I got my bees mid April of last year. We have gone through one whole year together. I watched the bees forage in my yard all summer. My mom talks about sitting and watching her chickens for hours in the summer, We are the same with our bees. We also have mason bees and bumble bees in our yard. I just cant get enough of these little furry guys. Every ones first question is, have you been stung? Yes, of course I have, but its kind of like child birth, once its over, you forget the pain. When a honey bee stings you, it is its last resort. Chances are they have given you plenty of warning, and are sacrificing their own lives to try and save the rest of the hive. Quite Noble little creatures huh? They do get more aggressive in late fall when they are protecting their winter honey store, but hey, who can blame them right?

I did my first mini hive inspection this morning. I still get the shaky hands and nervous stomach even thinking about going out there and interacting with them, I guess that's why I like it. The good news is, they lived through the winter and looks like they still have enough honey stored up to get them through till the nectar really starts to flow around here. There is a tiny sun break as I sit here, watching my bees coming and going from the hive with all of the precision of a well staffed airport. When the sun is fully out, my back yard is glowing with tiny glints of gold darting to and fro. It is simply a sight to behold. Beekeepers have a very important job these days. With bees vanishing and no one being able to figure out why, its the backyard beekeepers bringing the numbers back up, and keeping our food supplies pollinated. The next time you are purchasing honey, think about buying it local. Either by visiting a beekeeper in your area or going to your local farmers market. Support your local beekeeper!

Black Bean Burger

I decided the other day that all this "from scratch" cooking was getting quite tiresome and that I wanted to get a few "easy" things to have on hand. I decided on some pre made meat alternative patties. Standing in the freezer section of whole foods, my jaw hit the ground when I saw that they wanted $6 for 4 patties! What? There must be gold in these things, nope, but there is dairy in most of them. So, I decided to make my own. This would be my second attempt at Black Bean Burger patties. The first was a total failure. They didn't stick together when cooking, they were way too thin. I guess not a total failure, as the flavor was good. So here I am with attempt number 2. Better, but still not on the mark. They were nice and thick, but still didn't hold together well when cooked. They did form a nice crisp crust when fried, but a chunk fell off when I flipped it. It tasted awesome, and was plenty filling, but was more like eating a sloppy joe(although not messy), instead of a "burger". This Recipe made enough for 13 patties. I cooked flavor into each ingredient to insure a flavorful patty.

1&1/2 to 2  Cup Cooked Black Beans cooked with cumin and garlic
3 Cups Cooked Brown Rice cooked with salsa
2 Cups Diced Small Veggies Slightly Roasted (I used half a zucchini, leek, Red and Yellow peppers, tossed in olive oil and garlic roasted on 350 for about 5 minutes)
1-1/2 - 2 Cups Re hydrated TVP(textured vegetable protein)
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
1/4 Cup Flour
2 TBS. Cumin
1 TBS Chili Powder
1 TBS. Garlic Granules
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix everything together. To form the patties I used a fried egg ring, thingy. Not sure what those are technically called, but they work perfectly for this. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. When making patties really squish it in there and them simply lift off the ring. I then popped them in the freezer and when they were frozen, put them in a plastic bag and stored in freezer. Today I took one out and put it on the griddle with a little oil and covered it with a lid. It warmed up with the pan which unthawed it. After about 5 minutes I flipped it and cooked on the other side a few more minutes. I had it on a Whole Wheat bun with a little Cashew Queso. I will keep at this recipe until I have it perfected, In the mean time I will enjoy my vegan sloppy joes! Any Input on ways I can get these to hold together better woould be greatly appreciated!

Portabella Parmesan

Oh man, Am I in LOVE with Portabella Mushrooms! It all started with Portabella Yakisoba at Japonessa the other night. Then the very next day I got a Portabella burger at Sunlight Cafe in Ravenna. I'm hooked! So, of course this means I had to try cooking some for myself. I had originally planned on making Portabella fingers and fries. But, being the savvy cook I am, was faced with a challenge. You see, making the mexi bowl the night before, I opened what I thought was a large jar of "The Moms" home made salsa. Mom not being the type to fuss with things like..labels..I was mistaken. I had actually opened a jar of Italian Tomatoes. So, I decided, I will throw those Portabella fingers on top of some Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Zesty Tomato Sauce. As you can see I did sprinkle a little Parmesan On there. I can honestly say that with all the flavor in the Mushrooms and the sauce, it could easily have been left out and not missed.

To Prepare the mushrooms, Start by cutting the Mushrooms in half, and then each of those in half. You can make the slices smaller, I wanted them to be big and "meaty". Drizzle with a little Olive Oil and season with Italian herbs and some Garlic, Salt and Pepper. Beat 2 eggs with 1/4 cup Almond milk(if your eggless, simply omit eggs and double the almond milk). I made the bread crumbs from Daves Awesome Bread, I used the heals where there is lots of nuts and seeds. I ground them in the food processor then toasted them in the oven till golden brown. When they cooled I ground them again in the food processor with about 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese. Now pour the egg mixture in one plate and the breading in another plate. First dip the slices in the egg making sure to coat up into the mushroom gills. Then into the breading, giving them a nice coat. Heat up your skillet and pour in a couple TBS. of Oil. Fry those suckers till golden and crispy on all sides.

As I said, the sauce was something Mom came up with, so use what ever Marinara type sauce you want. I was sceptical at first when it came to the Whole Wheat pasta, it has definitely grown on me. Its bulkier so you eat less and has great flavor. And hey, its way better for you!

I'm not one to condone eating fryed foods all that often, but when your starting with something containing no fat and bread it in Super high Fiber Whole Wheat Bread, there really is no room for guilt. These got a super crunchy outer coating and were super moist(sorry Kristen) and meaty inside. Simply amazing. Taylre even ate them, and she doesn't like the texture of Mushrooms.

Mexi Bowl

Mexican Whole Wheat Cous Cous with Fajita marinated Tofu and Black bean and Corn Salsa

I have never been much of a fan of Tofu..I will be the first to admit, It looks funny and isn't super exciting in the flavor area either. But once you get the marinating down..its like a whole new product! You have to start by getting the water out of the tofu. My trick is to wrap the tofu in a couple paper towels and squeeze it pretty good. The firm tofu will take a pretty good manhandling. I then cut the tofu block in half and squeeze it again. For this recipe I sliced the tofu in about 1/2 inch slices. Then laid each slice on a paper towel, laid another paper towel on top and pressed the whole thing to get every last bit of moisture OUT. Now you are ready to get the flavor IN!

Tofu "Fajita" Marinade
As per my usual, I didn't measure as I went, I will give you a list of suggested spices..add as much of each as you like.

Garlic Granules, Onion Flakes, Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Paprika, Salt, Chili Powder. Mix in 2 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar & 1 Tbs. Agave Nectar(optional). Add enough water to give you a pourable yet still slightly pasty consistency.

Pour a little on a plate and smear around. Now line the plate with tofu slices and pour on the remaining marinade. Let this sit as long as possible. At least 4 hours. I then fry them in a little oil on my Cast Iron Griddle. I swear by this pan for cooking tofu..and honestly have not tried it in a stainless steel or non stick pan.

Mexican Cous Cous
Boil 1&1/2 cup water mixed with 2 Tbs. Salsa. Add 1 Cup Whole Wheat Cous Cous. Stir to combine, then remove from heat and cover with a lid. In about 10-15 minutes, fluff with a fork.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
1&1/2 Cup Cooked Black Beans( I cooked them with a little garlic and cumin)
1 The Kernels From One Cob Of Cooked Corn
1/2 Of a Red Pepper
1/2 Of a Red Onion
The Juice from 1 Lemon or Lime

Saute Onion and Pepper in a little oil till just soft. Cut the kernels from your cooked corn cob and add those to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, your mainly looking to get the moisture out of the corn. Now add the Black Beans and Season to taste. Finish off with the juice from one Lemon or Lime.

I served this with some slightly softened Onion And Red and Yellow Peppers. And topped it off with fresh diced Tomatoes. I also made some Corn Tortillas, But they were not so photogenic..so we will be trying those again. Still pretty tasty though :)

Cookies!

I may have mentioned that I have a hellofa sweet tooth. And of all sweet treats..I'm a sucker for cookies. I have come up with these two recipes both are low in sugar and high in fiber. Oh..and did I mention super hella yummy?


Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Dry Ingredients                                                  
1 Cup Unbleached White Flour                                                         
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour                                                                 
1/4 Cup Wheat Bran                                             
1&1/3 Cup Old Fashioned Oats                         
1 Teaspoon each Salt & Baking Soda               
                                                                           
Wet Ingredients
3/4 Cup Honey
2 Tbs. Pure Maple Syrup
2 Tbs. Molasses
1/2 Cup Oil
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree  
1 Teaspoon each Vanilla,Cinnamon&Nutmeg                     

Combine Dry Ingredients. In separate bowl combine Wet Ingredients. Combine both and mix well. These will not spread much, so I smoosh them down pretty flat. Bake at 350. Bake until done(depends on cookie size)


Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Dry Ingredients                                                   
1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour                    
1 Cup Unbleached White Flour                      
2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats                             
1 Teaspoon each Salt & Baking Soda    

Wet Ingredients      
1/2 Cup each Oil and Apple Sauce
1/2-3/4 Cup Agave Nectar                         
1 Tbs.each Vanilla, Maple Syrup & Molasses
1 Apple pealed and chopped in small pieces   

Combine Dry Ingredients. In separate bowl combine Wet Ingredients. Combine both and mix well. Add Apple and mix well. Bake on 350 till done.

These are both pretty similar recipes, and I imagine you could do all kinds of customizations to them. The first time I made the pumpkin ones I still had a handful of white and dark chocolate chips laying around, so I added them also. There being no butter to cream, vegan cookies are pretty easy to whip up on the fly.    

Pantry makeover and weekly veggie box

Where once lived Campbells chicken noodle soup, now lives ball jars full of whole grains, dry beans and legumes. No more boxes of Mac and Cheese, nope, now its Whole Wheat Pasta and Almond milk. How do I feel about this you ask? Pretty damn good! We are coming home with bags and bags full of bulk stuff from the store and storing these can be tricky. I recently bought a box of quart canning jars to use for storage. This is not a new concept for me..I have been storing stuff in these jars for years. Now there is just a lot more of them. I whipped out the label maker and marked them all on top for easy reference. With the lids on all ball jars being interchangeable, I can start a new product in a small jar, and if we decide we like it, switch it up to a large jar and use the same pre labeled lid! Brilliant! I wont show you the top drawer/shelf..we are still working out the Costco box of granola bars(they have the same sugar content of a candy bar!!) and cans of condensed milk, I'm thinking a trip to the food bank may be in order. We are a work in progress, But working in all of these healthy alternatives feels pretty darned good!

I cant tell you how exciting Friday mornings are when you have this beautiful thing waiting for you on the front door step. We have been getting an Organic Veggie Box delivered to us every week for almost a year now. Alex and I tossed around the idea for a while, before deciding on Full Circle Farm. We liked these guys for a few reasons. They deliver right to your door, where some have a community pick up spot. They also allow you to log on and see what is coming to you and even swap things out. I love most all veggies and really only swap out things that I know we wont use, or that we already have coming out of our own garden. I also usually swap out most fruit, I find we just don't eat that much fruit. They use local produce when possible, obviously this is easier in the summer. By mid summer most of the box's contents come right from the farm, which is located over in Carnation. They also send a little Insert with "farm news" and recipe ideas. It feels good supporting a local farm and also forces more healthy eating habits into ones life. We have been introduced to new things like Fennel Bulb(that big furry thing on the left there). My favorite recipe last year was Scalloped Potatoes with Fennel bulb..lets see if I can come up with a vegan alternative.

If no veggie delivery services in your area, visit your local areas farmers markets or better yet, visit the farm! EAT MORE VEGGIES!!

Spring Rolls

Veggie Spring Rolls have become one of our new favorites around here. I will apologize right up front to those of you that live in places that don't have an Asian grocery store. We are lucky enough to have one relatively close to our house.The round things in the above picture are the rice paper wrappers and the bag next to it is rice sticks(tiny little rice noodles). Slivered long ways is red pepper, fresh water chestnuts, carrot, bib lettuce, Asian cucumber, and green onions. You want to make all of your veggies about the same size and length, this will make assembling the rolls much easier. To get started put a pan of water on to boil. Break off a chunk of the rice noodles and place in a large bowl. Once the water is boiling pour over noodles and cover with a plate. They will need to soak for about 10-15 minutes. Now you can get the veggies all sliced up. You can use whatever veggies you have, we have also tried bean sprouts, cabbage and diacon radish. When your noodles are soft drain and toss with a little soy sauce or braggs. Now its time to get your rice paper wrappers softened up. To do this, fill a plate with barely warm water. Taylre and I found out the hard way not to use too warm water, as the wrappers will tear. Fresh out of the package the wrappers will have a thick paper like consistency. you will slide them into the water and kinda move them around in the water while keeping them fully submerged. You will feel them turn to a pliable wet noodle like consistency under you fingers. When this happens they are ready to use. This is where it gets tricky! Move to a work surface and smooth out flat. If you tear the first one, don't feel bad..grab a new one and try again. Once you have one laid out, make a pile of veggies and noodles in the middle, just like your making a burrito. When you have a nice little uniform pile in the middle, fold the edges closest to the tips of the veggies, up over the veggies. Now you simply roll the whole thing up like a burrito. It is pretty tricky till you get the hang of it, so don't get frustrated. The wrappers are super inexpensive and you can even eat the ugly rolls!

Spring Roll Dipping Sauce

2 parts Rice wine vinegar

1 part Braggs Aminos or Soy Sauce

A drop or 2 of Sesame oil

Garlic Sriracha and black pepper to taste

Combine Ingredients and enjoy!

For those of you that dont want to mess around with rolling up spring rolls..throw all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy!