We are quite partial to Middle Eastern cooking around here. Never heard of baba ghanoush? Consider this your lucky day. It’s basically eggplant hummus. Eggplants are full of vitamin K, Thiamin, B6, Folate, Potassium, Manganese, and fiber. I had three eggplants in this week’s produce box, so we made three batches (one to eat now, two for the freezer). This gluten-free dip is a great hummus replacement for those on the GAPS diet because there are no beans involved. Here is our super-de-duper quick recipe.
Disclaimer: it takes 3 minutes to make once you’ve roasted the eggplant. The three minutes does include peeling the eggplant, so I don’t think I’m steering ya wrong with the title.
To roast the eggplant, simply heat the oven to 400º, prick it with a fork in a few places, and bake for 30-40 minutes. Let the eggplant cool before peeling, which is a breeze. I just peeled the skin off with my fingers.
Peel eggplant and cut into 6 equal pieces. Put in blender (a high-speed one like a Vita-Mix will yield the smoothest results) and add remaining ingredients. turn blender to low, then gradually move to high and blend for about 15 seconds.
Put in serving bowl, sprinkle with fresh or dried parsley. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend. Serve with slices of fresh veggies, pita bread or naan, or use it as a spread in sandwiches.
We discovered this combination of flavors a couple weeks ago and have since devoured two large batches of it. Salty olives. Sweet figs. Creamy cheese. The garlic. The garlic. Just writing the word garlic makes my mouth water. A special thank you to the cayenne for a subtly spicy finish. I am in love, I tell you.
We’ve found the best results when using fresh herbs and chilling the olive mixture overnight or at least for a few hours to allow the flavors mingle a little.
Bring figs, water, wine, rosemary, and thyme to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and add all remaining ingredients but the walnuts and cheese. Stir well. Cover and chill anywhere from 3 hours to overnight.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. On stoneware (preferred) or a baking sheet, bake walnuts for 10 minutes or until slightly browned. Set aside.
Before serving, place cheese on platter. If using cream cheese, squish it down to about a 1/2 inch thick circle. If using feta, crumble it and loosely bunch it together to about the same size.
Combine walnuts and olive mixture. Spoon it over the cheese and serve with crackers, French bread, and/or or vegetable slices.
This makes a lovely breakfast or dessert. Healthy and only 200 calories!
In a small bowl add the strawberries, top with yogurt and then with honey.
**I discovered Manuka honey last year and love it. Manuka honey comes from an evergreen that grows in New Zealand. In it’s raw state it is very thick and creamy. It’s has a slightly smoky flavor and is a little less sweet than clover or other more traditional types of honey. Some Manuka honey is bioactive, meaning that is has antibacterial properties and is used as a treatment for wounds or skin infections when it has a higher bioactive rating. It’s also supposed to be good for the digestive system. Bioactive ratings range from 5+ to 30+. The higher the bio active rating, the higher the cost.
Save money by making your own yogurt.
Pour 3 1/2 cups milk into a saucepan and heat to 180°. Set a candy thermometer on the side so the bottom is 1/2 inch from the bottom, but still under the milk. It will take about 10 minutes, maybe 15, to get to that temp. Stir occasionally to be sure the milk isn’t sticking on the bottom.
Right in the beginning when it’s just started to heat, I do take a minute to fill a larger pan with ice and set in the sink. You will need this for Step 2.
Once it’s reached 180°, shut off heat (or remove if you have an electric stovetop) and place your saucepan on top of the pan with the ice in it. I then fill the larger pan with water so the ice will float to the top and surround the saucepan with hot milk as much as possible. If your pans are one size difference, it will help to “nest” them and keep that ice surrounding the slightly-smaller saucepan. Your goal is to drop the milk temp down to 105°.
Once it’s down to 105°, add 1/2 cup yogurt to the milk and stir – gently. Pour into a 1-quart mason jar and set in your yogurt maker – which is a fancy device that keeps your yogurt at an even, warm temp. Keep there 12-24 hours. I usually do mine overnight, so it’s about 12 hours, and I find that is tart enough for me to use without needing to add honey. If you leave it longer, it will get more tart (and will be better for you), but you may need to add honey to sweeten it up.
I only shop for groceries about once every 2 months, and so having fresh avocados is rare, and if I buy more than 2 they might be wasted. Now, when I find a good price on them, I buy several and here is how I process them.
First, cut one in half and hit the pit with the knife. The knife will stick into it and then you can twist the pit out easily.
Use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the avocados and put them into the food processor. Then, for each 3 avocados, I add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice.
Process it all until smooth. I place a little sandwich bag into a drinking glass and add 1/2 cup of the avocado/lemon mixture. The glass helps hold the bag open and reduces mess.
Close the bag(s) removing as much air as possible and put the little bags into a freezer bag and store in the freezer.
Thaw in the refrigerator and then you can use this to make guacamole, or whatever you like!
This is a fun way to get the classic BLT flavor without the bread!
Wash lettuce leaves, and dry thoroughly. Cook bacon until desired crispness, either in a frying pan or on a parchment lined pan in the oven. Spread each lettuce leaf with Vegenaise* and dijon, then sprinkle liberally with Herbamare. Place a slice of bacon down the center of each leaf, then top with avocado, tomato and cucumber. Add more herbamare, if desired. Roll up and secure with a toothpick.
*Vegenaise can be used if you have an egg allergy. Otherwise homemade mayo made with olive oil is good.
This stuff is worth making just to enjoy the smell wafting through the house. I never want it to be done simmering! As long as you have a good blender, you don’t even need to peel the pears. I love how it is super sweet without too much sweetener added, unlike common jam. AND, no pectin required.
Simmer pears in white grape juice until very soft (20 minutes). Puree very finely (I used my vitamix). Place pear sauce, ginger, lemon juice, sweeteners, all spice, cardamom and nutmeg in crock pot or other deep pot to simmer for 12 or more hours. Tent with tinfoil, or position lid to keep the splatters in, but allowing steam out. When first setting the temperature, stir every 20 minutes. Once a low simmer is holding, stirring is unnecessary. After 12 hours, check the viscosity. Take a spoonful out and drop it on a plate. If liquid pools around it, it needs to simmer longer. Once the dollop stays set, without pooling juice, it is done. Pull out the 4 pieces of ginger, mix in vanilla and lemon zest and bottle up!
Oysters are a very healthy addition to your diet. Here is an easy way to used canned whole oysters!
Open and drain the can of oysters. Be gentle. They are quite soft.
Divide them into 6 little piles on a plate.
Take 1/2 of a strip of bacon and wrap it around one of the piles of oysters. Do 5 more.
Secure each one with a wooden toothpick as you go.
Place in an oven proof dish, and bake in a pre-heated 450F oven until the bacon is as crisp as you like. The time will depend on the thickness of the bacon.
Drain on a paper towel.
Eat!
Delicious and versatile Ricotta can be used in many recipes, but the way I make it, it can also be sliced and used in sandwiches, etc.
Pour milk into heavy bottomed kettle. Bring slowly up to almost boiling (at least 200 degrees F)
Add 1/2 cup vinegar. Remove from heat. Stir briefly. Let rest for 15 minutes.
Pour into colander lined with a cotton cloth. Gather up the corners of the cloth, and using a large spoon, press the whey from the cheese curds.
Turn the curds into a bowl and work in 1 teaspoon salt.
While it is still hot, I press the ricotta into a bowl,cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
When cold, it can be sliced or crumbled to use.
Wrap carefully to freeze. It keeps nicely for several months.
Nice, easy, healthy, yummy homemade kettle potato chips! They are fried in lard rather than those rancid oils used in commercial potato chips.
Using a mandolin (or very sharp knife) slice the well-scrubbed potatoes thinly. Heat 2 - 3 inches of kettle rendered lard in a cast iron Dutch oven (or other heavy-bottomed pan) to 300-340 degrees F, and carefully place one layer of potato slices into the hot fat. When they start to turn brown, remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper toweling. Sprinkle liberally with unrefined sea salt. Be sure to watch the temperature of your lard.
Delightfully crisp and flavorful sourdough pretzels! A great snack on the go, anytime. Easier to make than you may think.
Put the sourdough starter into a bowl. Stir in the Whole Wheat flour, a little at a time, until the dough is quite stiff. Cover the bowl and allow to ferment for at least 7 hours.
Using the sprouted wheat flour to dust your work surface, turn out the dough. Sprinkle the salt on top of it, and then knead it for 3 minutes, using the sprouted wheat flour if it gets sticky.
Preheat oven to 400 F. I put a Silpat on my baking sheet, but you could use parchment paper. Don’t grease your pan. You want to avoid added fat that might make these not so crisp, unless you don’t care about that.
Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them between your hands to make little “snakes” and place them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle liberally with more natural sea salt.
Bake for about 13 minutes. Watch them. You don’t want them to burn, but check one now and then to see if they are getting sufficiently crisp.
Cool on a dish towel and store in an airtight container.
When we have company over for fajitas, they are amazed at the delicious taste of this guacamole — and the simplicity of the recipe!
Mash avocado, salsa, and seasonings in a bowl with a fork. Serve immediately.
SERVING IDEA: Don’t have chips? Serve on fresh tomato slices or scoop with carrot sticks.