Food bloggin' again!

Well, I'm back and blogging over at coasttocoastpaleo.com.

While you're here though, have fun looking over some of these old recipes!

Vanilla Chai Apple Sauce or Ice Cream Topping

So, I was making myself a cup of tea and then saw the old apples sitting on the counter. So I thought to myself, "hrmm.. Michelle, you brilliant woman you. Why don't you make some apple topping WITH the chai tea?" And so, I did! Something a little spicy to go with some sweet homemade vanilla ice cream on a warm summer afternoon. Please hold your applause until after the recipe. ;)

Vanilla Chai Apple Sauce
- 5 Organic Apples that are a bit on the old side, but aren't bad
- 2-3 cloves
- 2-3 cups of hot chai tea (I used a blend from Teavana)
- 1 vanilla bean (I recommend using a Tahitian bean. They go better with fruit.)
- 1 1/2 tsp of raw sugar
- Cinnamon - I didn't measure this since it is up to personal preference and I was lazy. I'd say I used around a teaspoon for a really mild sauce.
- a dash of cardamom

1. Wash and cut up apples into 1 inch chunks. I left the peel on mine, but you can remove it if you'd like.
2. Toss apples in pot with hot chai tea and spices. Bring up to boiling then turn down and let it simmer until the apples are tender.
3. Run full mixture through food processor or a blender until it is as smooth as you'd like it. If you'd like it a little thicker, don't use much of the tea/juice when blending. I used about half of what was left and it made for thinner apple sauce texture.
*Note Regarding Cinnamon: I only used a teaspoon because I wanted to make a really mild sauce that people could then spice up to their own preferences. Personally, I think it needs a lot more cinnamon, but that's just me. So, toss some on top when you eat it! It'll also make it pretty looking.*

Of course, you don't HAVE to put this on ice cream. It's only a suggestion. Really, I won't MAKE you eat ice cream. Oh? You want to eat some ice cream? Well then, who am I to say no? >:D

Enjoy everyone!

Making your own yogurt. It's easier than you think!

I know there are a lot of blog entries out there about this subject, but I want to chime in since making homemade yogurt is something that I really enjoy and it can have so many uses. All of three of us adore yogurt. We mix some up with mostly mashed carrots for our little guy and we eat it with fresh organic fruit and local honey drizzled on top. Yogurt is such a versatile food that is ridiculously good for you. You can even make your own yogurt cheese which can be used as a substitute for cream cheese, mayo, etc.

Today, I'm just going to give you a basic run down of how we make yogurt. Soon, I'll post a yogurt cheesecake recipe!

What you need to make yogurt:
- 1 cup starter organic yogurt (PLAIN and whole milk...make sure it has ACTIVE cultures)
- 1 half PASTEURIZED (*NOT* ultra pasteurized) gallon milk (We prefer Organic Valley California Pastures because it is organic, local and grass-fed. They have other local varieties that may be available in your area. Visit their website!)
- 1 crock pot - 2.5 quarts is the ideal size. We have been actually using a little less milk and doing ours in a 1.5 quart crock pot lately.
- 1 thick towel
- Fine mesh strainer (we use a 9 inch one)
- Cheesecloth or coffee filters

1. Pour milk into crock pot. Set on low and let it heat for 2-3 hours.
2. Take pot out of crock pot machine and wrap in towel. Put in unused oven to keep air temp around it nice and even. Let sit 3-4 hours. (It helps to lay the towel flat, place the crock on top, and then wrap the towel over.)
3. After 3-4 hours, take out 1-2 cups of milk and put into a clean bowl. Whisk in your 1 cup of starter yogurt until blended. Put the mixture back in with the rest of the milk.
4. Rewrap in towel, put back in oven, and let it sit 8-10 hours.
5. It's time to strain out the whey! For thicker yogurt, strain longer and for yogurt cheese, put in the fridge and let it strain for 24 hours. We strain ours for about 30 minutes or so for a nice thick yogurt. We just put the clean cheesecloth over the mesh strainer and then put that on top of our large stock pot. :) If you want, you can whip the yogurt in your blender to make it a bit frothier. You can use the whey as a substitute for liquids in baking, blend it into a smoothie, use it to soak beans, etc. It's also very good for you so don't let it go to waste.
6. Put a cup of starter aside in a separate container for next time, and refrigerate it all! Be sure to refrigerate it in a non-reactive (non-metal) container. Enjoy yummy yogurt that you made yourself. :)

Simple Dessert - Tea Soaked Oranges

One of the advantages to living in California is the abundant organic citrus available year round. Every week, we stock up on it - mandarins, navel oranges for juicing, lemons and limes. It's all so refreshing and makes for a wonderful late night snack. One of our favorite ways to eat our mandarins is to use this little recipe. It makes an elegant and light dessert after a heavy dinner or the perfect sweet treat to satisfy that late night craving. We originally found the recipe over at EatingWell.com, but my version is a little different.

Tea Soaked Mandarins
- 4 fresh organic mandarins, peeled and separated
- 2-3 cups concentrated black tea - I usually make mine with PG tips. Make it as if you're going to have iced tea (so very dark).
- Local honey - a couple tablespoons, depending on your preference
- Cardamom - to sprinkle

1. Prepare tea - I used 4 tea bags to make my 2-3 cups. You want to have enough tea to almost cover up the oranges in a bowl. Let the tea cool to room temperature.
2. While tea is cooling, prepare oranges.
3. Pour tea over oranges and put the bowl of tea & oranges in the refrigerator. Let it marinate for 2 hours or so.
4. Take out and serve oranges with bits of the tea and drizzle over it local honey (I recommend a wildflower honey for this) and sprinkle with cardamom.

Delicious, isn't it?

Farmers Market Kasha Pilaf

I love living in California because the summer food season starts so much sooner. Some of my favorites are now back in season at the local farmers markets including zucchinis and heirloom tomatoes. This recipe is a variation on a Kasha pilaf that we make about once a week. It's actually one of Jacob's signature dishes, so I'll let him handle the directions.

It's all yours Jacob...

Kasha, as far as us Americans are concerned, is whole buckwheat. It's a whole food that's a good source of protien, and works very well as a base for savory dishes. We cook it up as a pilaf and add whatever is on hand to fill out the meal.

The Kasha pilaf base

1 c. dry kasha

1 egg

2 c. water or chicken broth (broth tastes much better!)

2 tbs butter (you can skip this if using fatty chicken broth)

1 tbs oil

salt and pepper (to taste)

1. Combine broth, butter, oil, salt and pepper in a sauce pan, and heat to a boil.
2. While heating liquid, preheat large skillet to medium/high.
3. Pour kasha into a bowl and beat an egg into the grains. One egg should be enough to coat everything lightly.
4. Once skillet is hot, dump the egg/kasha mixture in and spread it out. Let things sizzle. Once the egg cooks, the grains should start to separate with some prodding. Break them up and pour in the hot liquid. Immediately cover the mix and let it sit for five minutes.
5. Have fun adding additional ingredients!

What next? It doesn't really matter. I don't think we've made a bad batch! Here is one of our favorite variations.

"Italian" Kasha

2 Large Tomatoes, diced roughly

1 c. diced leftover chicken (we roast one nearly every sunday)

3 cloves minced garlic

5-6 brown mushrooms, sliced

2 Zucchini, sliced

Oh goodness! A very belated entry

Hi everyone. Sooooooo..... yeah. It's been busy. VERY busy. INCREDIBLY busy...which is great for us, but stinks for you guys! We haven't had time to compile recipes and with that, take photos. Okay...let's face it. It's mostly that I'd like to add some photos to this darn blog, but the little one keeps us running around all day long. We're adjusting though and hopefully soon, we'll get back to photos and yummy recipes.

For now...here's an old entry I wrote back during the holiday season, but never got around to posting. No pictures, sorry!
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The recipe for today is always a big hit at our holiday parties. Since my husband and I live far away from our families back in the Midwest, we have hosted “orphan” Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations almost every year since moving to California. We have over our friends who are also separated from their families for the holidays and have a lovely feast. It’s so nice to be able to share the holidays with our California family, plus as you know, Jacob and I love to cook! So the more, the merrier!

Garlic Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients:
- 4 large potatoes (our personal favorite variety is Yukon Gold)
- Homemade chicken broth (or low sodium store bought) - have at least 3 cups available
- 2 Tablespoons Organic Salted Butter (we get our butter and cheese from Spring Hill Cheese Company at our local farmers market)
- Seasonings - Simply Organic's Garlic Pepper, Garlic Powder, and sea salt
- Organic Cheese - this is usually a "whatever I have in the house blend". I try to get a nice blend of sharper cheeses to really cut through the starchiness of the potatoes. My general blend is 1/4 cup Asiago (fresh or aged), 1/4 cup Parmesan/Romano blend, and 1/4 cup cheddar. If you prefer milder cheeses, I recommend a blend of colby jack, mild cheddar, and then parmesan/romano.

Directions:
Wash, peel, and quarter 4 large potatoes. Heat up 1 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup water, once bubbling, put in potatoes. Cook potatoes until soft, but not overly mushy. Broth/water mix should have cooked off quite a bit. Add extra broth/water if it is cooking off a little too fast. :)

Put potatoes in bowl. I personally use my pastry dough blender to mash my potatoes..mash potatoes up with another 1/2 cup broth and 2 tablespoons of butter. Season to taste. Throw in more broth as needed until you get a nice fluffy, whipped texture (don't want it to be too wet). Then, blend in the cheeses! Taste test. Add more cheese, seasoning or salt to your own personal taste. One of the reasons I prefer to use homemade or low sodium broth is so that all guests can salt to their own preference. Using regular store bought broth can create potatoes that are too salty.

Do NOT serve until you are ready to sit down at the table or they may be gone before you get there. TRUST me on this.

Simple Asparagus, Mushroom and Chicken Risotto

Wow. It's been awhile. We had our son, Elliot, on July 15th! He came in at a whopping 11 pounds 2 ounces and 22.5 inches long. :) He's now a big ol' 4 month old with 2 teeth (that he's had for two months!). He keeps us on our toes, so we haven't had as much time to document our cooking adventures. Sorry about that!

I've got a quick little recipe today that serves 3-4 people. No pretty pictures for this one. Jacob is a slow poke when it comes to taking photos and I was too hungry to wait. Hehe! Again, I must emphasize the importance of fresh, local, and preferably organic ingredients. Treat yourself. It's worth it to spend a little extra dough (wah wah, bad food joke) on your food. This is the stuff that fuels you and you deserve PREMIUM! :D Okay, enough jokes. Seriously though, buy local, buy fresh, and buy organic. Reduce your carbon footprint and help yourself be healthier and eat tastier food. I'd also like to add a special shout out to Healthy Family Farms, our favorite place to get chicken and pork products from. We get one of their pasture fed (no corn/no soy) birds every week and it never disappoints. This recipe uses leftovers from our weekly roasted chicken in two ways - the shredded chicken itself and the deliciously potent stock we make from the carcass. Yay Healthy Family Farms!

Here's the recipe...

Simple Asparagus, Mushroom, and Chicken Risotto
- Chicken Stock - 3 cups of stock - we make ours from our chicken leftovers. If you don't have enough, just use a cup of water and add extra herbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 small red onion, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 bunch of asparagus, fresh. Chop into little 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces.
- 6-8 small brown mushrooms, fresh. Slice 'em!
- Left over roasted pasture fed chicken, shredded. (This is leftover from our regular Roasted Chicken & Veggies on Sundays.. a recipe will be coming in the next few days for that!)
- Thyme, Garlic, Pepper, Salt to flavor as you prefer. :)

1. Saute onion with butter and oil for 2-3 minutes
2. Still in rice and cook for 1-2 minutes
3. Add water, simmer until moisture is almost completely cooked off. Then, do the same, about a cup at a time for the stock. Be sure to keep on stirring this. Stirring is important to get the texture correct!
4. When you add the last cup of stock, be sure to add the mushrooms, asparagus and leftover roasted chicken. :)
5. Once it is creamy instead of "wet", you're done! Serve warm. Feel free to sprinkle some parmesan cheese on there.

Takes about 30-45 minutes, depending on how slow you simmer. :) I usually chop the veggies while the first two cups of liquid simmer to save on prep time.