What I am reading....

I have been reading Jane Goodall's "Harvest for Hope" it is a fascinating read...She is such an amazing woman..I am only half way through and there is some great information there...One of the most telling and interesting thing to me was about organics and chimpanzees ...if the banana is organic the chimpanzee eats the whole thing if it is not they peel it!!! Wow! I could see maybe them choosing to eat organic first which is what many animals do but to actually remove the most harmful part and then eat it....

This book is really fascinating and is full of useful information about food, farming, interesting cultural stuff (like geophagy/clay/dirt eating which I thought was something only children would do), and facts about that evil poisonous company Monsanto. I have this out from the library but I may have to purchase it.

"Must be a better food blogger, must be a better fod blogger"

Well, I am still cooking and baking ....I forget about the blogging part

Veggie Shephards Pie

2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups cooked adzuki beans

1 onion finely chopped
4 chopped garlic
6 carrots chopped
1 yellow zucchini
4 chopped celery
In a little oil fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes add the rest of the vegetables stir over medium heat for about 10 minutes..
Add: 1/2 a can of tomato paste
Tbsp. each of oregano and basil
1 tsp of marjoram

stir and add rice/bean mixture
this should be very wet slightly "soupy" if not add a bit of water or stock.
Put in a large casserole dish and top with enough mashed potatoes to cover the top.
Cook at 350 for about 40 minutes...

Healthy Yummyness

Rice, sunflower seeds, tofu, garlic, yellow zucchini, carrots and kale....Very plain quick and the whole family really likes it. Sweet pea doesn't mind garlic but does not care for onions...I often leave them out of these kind of dishes or he spends the whole dinner "editing". In foods where the items are not as easy to pick through to discover the onions he eats them just fine:)

Duck Eggs

We had never had them before..My friend mentioned that someone she knew had given her some and I asked what they were like. She didn't know because she was uncomfortable about trying them. So she gave me some and I fried them for breakfast. The shells themselves were quite beautiful smoother than a chicken egg more translucent with a delicat swirling on them. The yolks were HUGE and the shell a bit harder. The taste was similiar to a chicken egg. I went online afterwards to read that you are suppose to really cook the eggs to well done...Well, we all survived...Suggested uses were for baking as they give baked products more loft. Higher in Cholestrol and Fat ...we won't be having them again ..but it was fun to try them out............

Strawberry Ice Cream

Mix 450 grams strawberries with 150 grams sugar and 1 TBSP vodka and let sit for an hour or until Sweet peas "When's it going to be ready?" starts to drive you batty:)

Put the strawberry mixture into a food processor with 240 grams sour cream and the juice of half a lemon. Process!
Let cool in the fridge for an hour to cool or until "Pester Power" wins out. Process in the ice cream maker and a little right away while still soft and freeze the rest for a harder ice cream...This was so yummy! I wrote it down forever ago from I think recipezaar.

Digging deep into an empty fridge...

What we had...two acorn squash, 6 baby bok choy and some sprouting potatoes...and a yummy meal is born...
I roasted the potatoes
braised the bokchoy with some limp green onions that I found in the bottom drawer of the crisper and added a few sesame seeds and a few squirts of Braggs at the end

the acorn squash:
cut into half circles and browned them in a frying pan put them in a casserole dish
topped them with a sauce made of:
the last few Tbsps of Maple syrup (and with the price that MS is now we may not have it in a very long time:(
a bit of canola oil (maybe a Tbsp)
pepper
a bit of ground coriander
1 freshly squeezed orange
a bit of brown sugar
a few Tbsps of pomegranite molasses
pour it over the squash cover the casserole and bake at 350 for about 30 to 40 minutes

Millet crusted quiche

I often use millet or rice for the crusts of quiches or savoury pies...Partly because I find pie crust difficult but also for the lower fat. I just press millet and/or rice into a greased pie pan and briefly bake it before adding the filling.

Quiche:
eggs
skim milk yogurt
garlic
shallots
red pepper
orange pepper
asperagus
Topping:
cheese
sesame seeds

It usually depends on how many eggs and yogurt we have as to how much I use...I try to not use alot of eggs and fill it out with the veggies...which I briefly stir fry before adding to the egg/yogurt combo..I bake it until it is slightly browned on top and take it out while the filling is still "loose" it firms up a bit as it cools..

Wontons

First time making wontons ...they turned out very yummy tasting and they did not fall apart but I have to say the esthetics were a little interesting:) Something I need to practice and I think I was going about it the wrong way.
The filling was:
one bunch broccollini chopped very small
1/2 a block of tofu crumbled
1 tsp ginger chopped small
all fried in a small amount of oil
I added 1 tsp dijon mustard
a few tablespoons of Tamari

I used about a tsp of filling per wonton wrap and tried folding...none were pretty but stayed together with a little water to stick them together.

They were yummy!!

I made a broth with some ginger slices, Mirin, rice vinegar, tamari, sugar and salt...I just tasted it and added what seemed good. I threw in some bean sprouts and green stuff growing in our garden..Broth was also good but next time I would add a few tbsps of miso and some chopped green onions.

French Onion Soup

Add to Carmalelized onions (about two cups worth cooked slowly in a couple of tbsps oil or butter, pepper, salt, a bit of white wine) 4 cups of vegetable stock or water, sage, rosemary ant thyme. Heat until very hot taste the broth and adjust the seasonings. Pour into a large casserole dish add cut up french bread or baggette on top overlapping a bit if necessary so you fill the whole space and cover with shredded mozza. Cook in an oven at about 375 until toasty on top and well heated...

WholeWheat Flapjacks and Apple Butter

2C. whole wheat
4 tsp. b. powder
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs
2 C. milk

Mix dry ingredients together. Slightly beat eggs and milk ...Add to dry ingredients stir till just blended. Cook turning once.

We bought the apple butter in Cache Creek on our way back to the Island (home). It was really yummy but more like a chunky applesauce than an applebutter.

How to get kids to eat healthy foods Tip #1

Involve them in preparing food... Sweetpea would ride in the backpack while I made meals when he was little. As he became more aware of food he would shift around in the backpack trying to get a better view of what I was doing. As he got older I would put him in his booster seat and chop at the kitchen table I would name the vegetables and other items we would be using. He would throw items into a bowl or pan that I would place on the table for him.

As he grew older he would "help" in any way he could. He is now in charge of the Kitchen Aid, punching down the dough for bread and putting all items in the bowl or pan we are using. He is not in charge of breaking the eggs although he is pretty good at it:)...He will try pretty much anything that he had a hand in making and usually that also means he will also like it:)

Leafy Greens (purples too)....

This is how we like them at our house: Use a little olive oil to fry 2-3 cloves garlic, add a bit of salt and 1/2 tsp of red pepper....rinse greens and add them to the pan..when cooked give a couple shots of balsamic vinegar and it is so yummy a Sweetpea will eat it:)

How to get kids to eat healthy foods

Sweetpea eats alot of healthy food...fruits of any type have always been a favourite...Company has often been surprised when he gobbles down a bowl of Tabouli and eats all the parsley growing on our deck for a snack. He enjoys most vegetables raw and cooked....Of course he also enjoys ice cream and all things junkie but those items are for rare occasions. I will be writing a few tips over the next few weeks about what worked with our Sweetpea and maybe it will also work with the little ones in your life:)

Happy Mamma Day!!

We are on the road today for a wee trip up northern B.C. to visit family. Will be back next week hopefully with some foraging experiences although I am not holding my breathe it has been cold this year ...I really am hoping for some fiddleheads:) but we may be too early for them....Back in a week or so.

Tofu Pasta Salad

Combine in a large bowl:
4 cups cooked spiral noodles
1 red pepper chopped small
2 large grated carrots
1 can sliced black olives
1/2 english cucumber chopped
1 pkg firm tofu fried until browned in a little oil

Combine in a small bowl:
2 large cloves garlic finely chopped
1 Tbsp chilli powder
1 Tbsp basil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Pour dressing over salad and season with salt and pepper.

Cauliflower, Carrot and Potatoe casserole

In a food processor shred:
3 large carrots
5 potatoe
place in a bowl with:
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1/2 chopped red onion
3 minced garlic
stir together and dump into a greased lasagna pan.

In a food processor with chopping blade process:
1 small cauliflower
1 bunch of parley
Mix in a bowl with:
1 cup shredded cheese
2 tbsps oil
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
add this mixture to the top of Potatoe and carrots.
Bake at 350 until brown and toasty on top.

Black Bean and Nettle soup

3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped onion
6 ribs of celery
3 large carrots
2 cups of cooked black beans
1/2 cup rinsed Quinoa
3 chopped tomatos (or canned)
2 tbsps basil
2 tsps oregono

Fry garlic and onion...add other ingredients top with water or stock until soup items are covered. Cook on a simmer until carrots are soft. Add 1 cup steamed nettle after carrots are cooked.

Roasted Chickpeas...

So yummy..use canned or cooked dry them with a clean towel...roast dry in a 350 oven for about 45 mins ...shake the pan 3 or 4 times during the cooking. When crispy on the outside take out of oven and add a bit of olive oil, salt , cayenne and garlic. Make them spicy if you like that ...kids seem to love them they are a perfect crunchy snack. We never store ours but an airtight container may do the trick.

Stinging Nettles....

These nettles are so healthy for you they are full of minerals ..high in iron, magnesium and calcium.

Spring is the time to get these...wear garden gloves when handling the nettle(you will probably still get stung through them if you are harvesting alot...Dock may take some bite out of the sting just rub on the area)...cut with scissors about a foot down if you are going to eat them and they are fairly tall cut closer to the ground if you are drying for tea. Give the nettles a good shake to get most of the bugs off of them.

At home....clip off the top and take just the leaves farther down the stalk remember to wear your garden gloves. To store place unwashed nettle in a clean plastic bag and place inside of the fridge. Before cooking soak in cold water and drain/rinse well before cooking. If using for tea just tie all the bottom stalks together with twine and hang upside down to dry.

The nettle loses its sting after drying or cooking...use caution until then. It shrinks right down when being cooked so harvest alot for a couple of meals.

Mushroom Soup Casserole

Mushroom Casserole how to....

Make a Mushroom soup:

Slice about 20-30 mushrooms and a large sweet onion fry in a few tablespoons of oil until onions are translucent.

Add 2 tsps paprika and 2 tsps dill to 4 -5 tbsps flour toss into pot stirring well. Slowly add 5 cups of milk to pot stirring constantly.

Season with S&P a little Braggs, tamari or soy sauce is also a good addition. .

Let simmer until thickens 12-15 mins stirring occasionally.


Add a few eggs to about 6-8 cups of rice stir season if you like. press into the bottom and up the sides of a slighly oiled deep casserole . Put in a 350 degree oven just till slightly "set". Take out and add your mushroom soup. Fold rice edges over slightly to sorround the soup. You can bake this as is and is yummy or..
Add roasted red peppers around the edges of the casserole.

Sprinkle center of the casserole with shredded mozza or aged cheddar. Add a few pine nuts. Bake until golden on top. Yummy ....