Recipes – The MonroePost

February 17, 2015

Snow Day Pretzels

Well…we are snowed in today…rather iced in. A big storm hit last night and dropped some snow followed by freezing rain. Our backyard is literally a big sheet of ice. In other words- we ain’t going no where.

Cold days call for cozy food and hot coffee. Am I right or what? We had these soft fluffy pretzels at a friends house the other day and erhmehgersh were they good. Thanks Sarah for your delicious confections! So today, I decided we would make them again…it was a toss up between these or cinnamon rolls. Since of course we could dip these in cinnamon sugar topping…it was kinda the same thing right? Except that these pretzels are a cinch to make. Regardless, you should make some on your snow day…errr, ice day. They may not be the healthiest thing on the planet…but good for a nice treat. After eating them, you can do some house work…like scrub your kitchen floors. (Well…at least that is what I did…)

Snow Day Pretzels

Slightly adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

1 cup organic milk
2 1/4 tsp yeast
3 Tablespoons coconut sugar, or brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Kerrygold salted butter, softened
1 tsp sea salt
2-2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup baking soda (for later)
3 cups hot water (for later)
Melted butter (4 Tbsp)
Pretzel salt, Cinnamon sugar and/or other various toppings or dipping sauces.

Directions:

Warm your milk in a pan to 110 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, this is just hot enough that it doesn’t burn your finger. Any hotter and you’ll kill the yeast…so don’t do that. After your milk is warmed, add yeast to the milk and let it sit for a few minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Add the sugar and butter to the milk/yeast mixture and stir. Now dump this into a stand mixer. Add one cup of flour and begin stirring. If you don’t have a mixer, you can just add the flour to a bowl with milk and mix with a spoon.
Add the salt and another cup of flour and continue kneading either in the mixer or by hand. Continue adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky. You may need to add more than the 2 cups. Knead for 5-6 mins in the mixer or 10 minutes by hand (come on…you can do it!)
Let the dough rest and rise for 1 hour.
Near the end of the rise, mix the baking soda with the hot water in a dish.
After rising, divide the dough into 12 parts. This will make 12 smallish pretzels. If you want huge pretzels (aka “mall size”) then divide into 6 parts. Roll the dough into long logs and shape as desired. Feel free to use your play dough snake making skills for this 😉
Dip the pretzel shapes into the bowl of hot baking soda water and lay on a greased baking pan or parchment paper lined pan.
If you want salted pretzels, sprinkle the salt on now.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.
After removing pretzels from oven, proceed to dip pretzels in melted butter and then cinnamon sugar mixture if desired. You could also make a cheese dip…or chocolate dip…or mustard dip…or just eat them plain!
Serve with a cup of hot MonroePost Coffee …unless you are serving to kids, in which case hot cocoa might make a nice pair.

Even buddy liked them! (Well…that’s not a surprise)…

November 25, 2014

Sweet Potato Cornbread

I know we have been focusing on coffee a lot around here on the blog. Life seems to have revolved around coffee for the main of this summer. I barely got a chance to tell you all about my exciting garden adventures this year. Maybe I’ll tell you about that next. I figured you were due for a recipe. Of course it will involve sweet potatoes. Did I mention that we harvested over 200lbs of them babies out the of garden this year? Man it’s been a while, I don’t even remember my last few posts. Regardless. Here’s a simple, yummy fall recipe perfect in time for eating festivities that are going to be taking place THIS VERY WEEK. Can you tell I get a little excited about eating? Someday…someday…I may convince my mom to let me post her family secret stuffing recipe. Ya’ll will go nutso crazy over that. Just ask my husband. He came into the family hating stuffing. He’s a believer now. Weren’t we talking about cornbread though?

Cornbread really has a special place in my heart. Over the years I gradually evolved my cornbread palate away from Jiffy mix. Yes, I really did eat Jiffy mix at one point in my life. I would eat a whole box of muffins by MYSELF. I was pregnant. Nevertheless, there’s something about cornbread that makes me happy. However, I have yet to actually “settle” on the perfect recipe. I can’t tell you how many recipes I’ve actually tried. Probably like 100. I rule out any that call for 3 cups of sugar or a can of creamed corn. I just don’t have that stuff sittin around if you know what I mean. No judgement here if you do! Bet you actually have a dy-namic tasting cornbread. My ideal recipe calls for a lot of butter, a pinch of sugar, and heavy on the cornmeal. I stumbled upon a sweet potato cornbread recipe that actually tickled my tail feathers. I actually made the recipe more than once…so that speaks VOLUMES. Of course I have since tweaked it to my liking and thus present you with my final product. Please do not make this if you don’t plan to slather it with more butter and honey. Mk?

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Ingredients

1.5 cups mashed sweet potatoes (boiled or baked doesn’t matter-I boil to save time!)
6 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 1/4 cup thin yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
3 1/2 cup non-GMO cornmeal (we fresh grind it, so it’s more of the stoneground variety)
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons sugar or sucanat
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray or butter a 9×13 pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl mix sweet potatoes, eggs, oils, yogurt and lemon. In another bowl mix together the remaining dry ingredients.
Pour the dry ingredients into the sweet potato mixture and gently mix just until all flour is combined. Pour into pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes until top is brown and toothpick comes out clean!
Serve with butter and lots of honey!

What is YOUR favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving?

We hope you have a very blessed Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for!

September 12, 2014

Cardamom Ginger Snaps

My house smells so good right now. I am really craving the fall and winter festivities. The pumpkins, the warmth of spices, curling up on the couch in blankets…cookies…

Alright back to reality…or at least toss out the idea of afternoon naps. Sigh.

I had a craving for some ginger snaps today…random, I know. I think its my subconscious reacting to my poorly digested Mexican food from yesterday. Ginger snaps are one of those things I think you either love or you hate. So if you’re on the hater side, you prob want to skip this recipe. Unless you think you might be cured from your hating by trying my awesome recipe. I claim no cures…

On the other hand, these cookies make a lovely home freshener. Pungent ginger smell mixed with cinnamon and a pop of that super fresh cardamom smell…ahh…it’s good for the dreary day. And the uneasy stomach if you happened to eat something you probably should not have.

Before I proceed with the recipe…I should go ahead and address that look on your face…the “Holy dude what the hay is cardamom?” look. It’s ok, I promise it’s not that scary. And I promise to refrain from all bad jokes regarding moms or cards or anything like that. If you know this amazing spice and its super powers…proceed to the recipe. For the rest of you…

Cardamom is a spice that comes from a plant in the ginger family. (No wonder it tastes so good in these cookies!) The variety I use comes in a small green pod. The seeds inside the pod are what we use for cooking. It’s often used in middle eastern dishes. It’s a very different flavor than you may have experienced before…almost like a spicey, citrus, floraly flavor. It’ truly unique. You gotta try it! There are a couple different types of cardamom, but the kind I use is called green cardamom. It’s not that hard to find in stores, although I think you would have best of luck finding it Indian food stores or in stores like Whole Foods in the bulk section. I recommend that you only buy it in the whole pod form. They sell ground cardamom, but this is one of those spices that you loose a TON of flavor after its been ground. Soo, it means more work for you but its worth it. So how do you work with these strange little things? First off, each pod has about 6-8 seeds in it. The easiest way to get these seeds out is to gently smash the pod with the side of a chef knife. Then use your fingers to break it open and dump out the seeds! You will then need to crush the seeds a bit as you probably don’t want to bite an entire seed…they are strong tasting! I use a mortar and pestle. You could use a coffee grinder, or even just the blunt end of a butter knife in a cup or bowl that won’t break from you hitting it with metal! Make sense? Just crush the seeds however you can…they aren’t that hard!

Cardamom Ginger Snaps

Ingredients

2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cardamom pods worth of seeds. About a 1/2 tsp crushed cardamom seeds. (See note above)
12 tablespoons butter at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (I find that the microplane does an excellent job!)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup organic molasses
For coating: 1/4 cup sugar + 1/2 tsp powdered ginger mixed

Directions

In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, and spices.
With a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl.
Add egg, fresh ginger, vanilla extract & molasses and mix.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix. You may need to use a spatula at this point! Dough should be thick!
Scooping a spoonful at a time, roll the dough in your hands to make a ball.
Drop the ball in the sugar coating mixture and roll around until coated.
Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 mins. 12 min will yield a softer cookie, if you like crunchy traditional “snap” cookie bake longer…maybe even closer to 16 min.
Let cookies cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.

While I was sitting here working on typing up this post earlier, Elyse decided to sneak into the kitchen, get a chair and start chowing down on these. I was obviously too focused. I eventually caught her…this is her running away with a handful of cookies laughing her head off. Oh children…

July 23, 2014

Miracle Pops

Okay, so maybe they are not miraculous. That’s a pretty strong word. Maybe they are just blow-your-mind-cool. Popsicles…that don’t melt. Yah, you heard me. Have you heard about them before? I have seen them a few times on Pinterest and I thought I would bring it up again. Just so that I can personally attest to their awesomeness.

But why? Why do I want a popsicle that doesn’t melt? That sounds gross! Let me introduce you to my 2 year old. Elyse. She likes to ~~procrastinate~~ take her time eating. Like A LOT of time. She will pick at something for HOURS if I let her (which I usually don’t). She’s the kind of girl who can savor the candy bar. Unlike some of us who scarf it down so quickly we want another one because we already forgot how good it tasted 10 seconds ago. Yah, that’s me. Elyse might actually be able to take leftovers home from a restaurant and have them for lunch the following day. I on the other hand, will probably eat them before going to bed. (Nasty midnight snack habit here.) So that my friends, is why these non-melting popsicles are awesome. My babe can take her sweet time eating them and I don’t have to worry about sweet stickiness covering the walls, chairs, furniture, and carpets in my house. Not that it entirely matters, I think I would still choose strawberry popsicle smeared on the wall over some of the things that get smeared on the wall. Why do kids feel it necessary to rub their boogers on the wall anyways? Sorry, TMI. I do clean them, I promise.

So we whipped up a batch of these the other day and put them in our super cute Ikea (leeerrrvv that place) popsicle dealy-bobs. Ok so it’s actually called an Ice Pop Maker, and sadly you cannot buy them online. Boo, I need more. Ikea trip anyone?!

Now, word to the wise. The wise being the parents in this case. My kids will eat just about anything if it is in the form of a popsicle. Something about it’s cold cute shape with cute little handle. I mean, we’ve made liver pops before, green bean pops, dirty sock pops. Tee hee, I just laughed at myself. Ok, not really, thats gross. But they do seem to eat pretty much whatever I make in the shape of a popsicle. They really enjoy a “Hulk Pop” with banana, spinach or kale, and some yogurt. Like a frozen green smoothie. It’s actually pretty good. These un-meltable popsicles have a bit of a strange texture…to me that is…to the kids, they thought it was some kind of magical thing and didn’t mind the texture one bit. So my wise word is, that if you are only making these for yourself…you might want to move onto greener pastures as these seem to fit the younger crowd palate more appropriately. But now I have intrigued you….

Miracle Un-Meltable Popsicles

Ingredients

1 cup fresh or frozen berries (we used strawberries, but seriously you can use anything you want)
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup yogurt, milk kefir, or plain milk
1 cup boiling water or 100% juice
1 tablespoon grass-fed gelatin
Honey to sweeten to taste (we don’t need it in ours!)
Any extras your heart desires (kale? Spinach? Pepperoni?)

Directions

Place fruit, yogurt, honey and extras in a blender (we use the Vitamix). In a glass measuring cup mix 1 cup of boiling water or juice with the gelatin. Stir to dissolve the gelatin. Pour this mixture into the blender. Blend everything together until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds. Place in the freezer and freeze for a few hours. Any extra mixture can be put into a bowl and placed in the fridge. It will turn into smoothie jello.

Easy as pie and the variations are endless. Mix it up! Try new things! Just be sure to dissolve your gelatin in some hot liquid otherwise it will be a big clumpy mess. And we don’t like clumpy pops right? And by the way…this Gelatin is super healthy for you. I’d love for you to read up on why gelatin is so healthy for you. I recommend using a high quality gelatin that comes from animals (yes, it does come from animals) that are treated respectfully and given a diet that is both beneficial for them and for us. Unfortunately, the commercial gelatins you will find at the supermarkets are feed-lot animals, and so they are not going to provide you with the healthy properties that a good gelatin delivers. Mk? Ps- Don’t be afraid of the price, a little goes a long way!

Give it a whirl! And let me know if you happen to live by Ikea and want to send me some more of these cool popsicle dealy-bobs. 😉

Enjoy the summer!

July 16, 2014

Coconut Flour Peppermint Brownies

Coconut flour scares me. I’ve tried many recipes and they have all failed miserably. Not to mention Coconut flour is expensive. Or at least it WAS…until my beloved Costco started selling it by the 4 pound bag. SCORE! I was determined as usual not to give up. We’ve tried a few things here and there that were ok, but I’m gonna be honest, cooking with any alternative flour is an experience for your palate. We have to let go of the expectation that it’s going to taste the same. Alright? Oranges taste like oranges not apples. Wheat tastes like wheat. Coconut flour tastes like…well, coconut flour. (Ps-It doesn’t really taste like coconut, it’s pretty bland on its own so its versatile).

So. Brownies. Yes, that’s why we are here right? I just feel obligated to fill up the page with words before posting a recipe and a (less than professional) photo. I really want to invest in a better camera someday (sorry iPhone). Okay, I am not going to lie to you…because that would not be very nice…but while these brownies taste great…they taste healthy. Come on, you know what I mean. I mean, they ARE healthy. Like you-can-eat-a-whole-pan healthy. BUT, they don’t taste like the (no names mentioned but starts with a “G” and ends with “delli”) boxed ones. Leave those hopes at the door. Instead, opt for this yummy, gluten free, refined sugar free, high fat brownies. If you cringed at the last part, you need to go read my article on fat ok? One last word- I have added a some peppermint flavor in the form of a high quality Essential oil. I use Young Living oils as they are safe for eating, please be mindful that not just any peppermint oil will do. If you don’t have that oil, feel free to use peppermint extract or leave it out. 🙂 Mk? Let’s go.

Coconut Flour Peppermint Brownies

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Coconut Flour
1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey (or 1/2 and 1/2 of both)
5 Tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
2 drops Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil (if doubling stick to 3 drops)

Instructions:

It’s really easy. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir to incorporate everything. Pour in a small pan (I used a glass bread pan). Cook for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for as long as you can, ideally like 30 mins…otherwise it kinda falls apart. If you want to double the recipe, use an 8×8 pan. Triple it for a bigger pan. They are pretty rich and dense so a little goes a long way.

There ya go.

Now, don’t all run to Costco at the same time for this amazing deal on coconut flour.

P.S- If you need some Peppermint oil, give me a holler, I can hook you up. 🙂

June 4, 2014

Summery Radish Salad

I’ve never really been a huge fan of radishes. At least not the kind that you buy from the store. But then, once upon a time, I ate a radish strait from a garden and wow, it was such a different story. Radishes and I lived happily ever after…

So this year I decided I’d try my hand at growing them myself! I had often heard that radishes were one of the easiest things to grow. They mock me I tell you. Sheer mockery. Well, my attempts at growing them didn’t, umm, go so well. Apparently I am very skilled at growing radish greens but not the actual radish.

Thankfully a wonderful family of farmers at the market have got the skills for growing the actual radish. Doesn’t really surprise me…I seem to have garden faux pas fairly regularly. That’s what keeps you coming back right? Too find humor in my sad little radishes? I digress. If you are a local check out www.farmchicksproduce.com, they have some wonderful stuff available at the local farmers market in Chesapeake.

The real reason for this post was to spot light the beautiful ~~little~~ BIG radishes that I obtained from the farmers market (well technically a friend obtained for me…). I present you with a cool, crisp, summery salad that is perfect along side anything grilled, baked, broiled or flambéed. Ok so maybe not the last one…what is flambéed anyways? I had to google the spelling…don’t think I’m some sort of master chef or nothing. This salad,I imagine, will taste a bit different depending on your selection of radishes as I’ve had many that tasted vastly different. These ones I got were particularly sweet with that classic peppery bite right at the end. They were also super juicy! Sweet and juicy=good. Hard and bitter=not good. The mint is so good as it gives this cooling affect after the spicy bite. I have not tried with any other vinegars, but I am sure it would work well with any light vinegar. You could try regular balsamic if you’d like, but I found the white balsamic to give it a very light, fruity flavor. Maybe a champagne, white wine or rice vinegar would be good as well. Give it a try, tweek until your heart and palate are content.

Cucumber and Radish Summery Salad

2-3 large radishes (maybe more like 5-6 for normal sized radishes)
1 cucumber, I used an English cuke as they are my favorite
1 small handful fresh mint leaves chopped about 1 tablespoon
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Dash of sugar (optional depending on how sweet your radishes are)

Slice radishes and cucumbers to desired thickness. I then cut mine in quarters but you are welcome to cut however you desire. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl and then pour over the salad. That’s it! This salad is best served a few hours later to let it marinate a bit. It’s also absolutely the best if it is very cold. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours for best yum factor.

I have replanted some more radishes to give it another go. Maybe the second time around I’ll have better luck. Here’s to summer salads!!!

–Erica

March 5, 2014

Hacienda Chicken with Saffron Rice

Got a new recipe for you today! Aren’t you excited!!? It seemed blog worthy enough because it turned out looking so pretty. I mean, it tastes pretty good too, but I really fell in love with the colors!! Saffron is one of those spices that probably never gets touched in most home kitchens. Not only is it a hard to find ingredient, it is also highly expensive. I am not really sure what makes it so expensive. Regardless, it was one of those intriguing spices that would lure me every time I did run across it. I made a run to our local Indian food store a few weeks back and happened to see a small little box of red thread! Saffron! And it was affordable! I couldn’t resist that time.

I have to admit however, that even though the saffron was very pretty in the rice, I cannot vouch that it was entirely all that flavorful. Not sure what saffron is suppose to taste like?! Maybe I got a bad, cheap-o batch of the stuff? Maybe that’s why it is usually far more expensive? I did notice a subtle flavor, kind of earthy, but I am not sure I’d spend money on that flavor. All that to be said…feel free to make this dish without the addition of saffron…unless you really just want pretty rice to accompany it! In that case, I don’t judge either way. Just don’t blow your grocery budget on the stuff. And maybe I am wrong after all and saffron really does taste amazing. In which case, save up and buy some good stuff!

On another note. Green olives. I know some love them and some hate them. My husband, as adventurous as he is and usually willing to try just about anything, really does not like olives. He did nearly freak out when he saw them in the pot. Lol. For this reason, I chose to keep the olives whole so they can easily be fished out by those who are less than enthusiastic about them. No problema…more for ME! However, I do think that you should add the olive brine irregardless of if you like olives or not. It adds a very subtle salty flavor that is unmatched. My husband had no problem with that flavor. I just fished out the green orbs before serving him his plate. No complaints after that 😉 If you positively cannot stand the olives, maybe add some capers and caper juice in place of them. If you love olives however, I would suggest chopping them so the flavor is more evenly distributed. Ok that’s a long enough spiel about olives.

Hacienda Chicken

3 T butter
½ large onion
3 large garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 can diced tomatoes (use two cups diced fresh tomatoes if you wish!)
2 cups chopped baby bella mushrooms
1 cup chicken broth or water
1 T dried parsley
1 tsp paprika
1 lb of chicken cuts of choice (we use boneless/skinless thighs)
¼ cup white wine
½ cup green olives (sliced if everyone likes them or leave them whole if you have someone who doesn’t like them and wants to pick them out!)
¼ cup of brine from the green olives (pour it out of the jar!)
Salt to taste
½ cup feta cheese crumbled
Fresh parsley for serving

Directions:

Heat butter in Dutch oven (or large pot) and add onions. Saute onions until translucent 3-5 mins. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Toss mushrooms in now and continue to saute for just a couple minutes. Add your diced tomatoes, broth/water, parsley, paprika and chicken. Bring to a simmer and let cook until chicken is done. If you are using chicken breasts or thighs, prob about 20-30 minutes. Near the end of the cooking time, add the white wine, olives and olive brine. Salt to taste. Turn burner off and sprinkle feta cheese over the dish. Serve over saffron rice if you really want to be fancy! A sprinkle of fresh parsley would be oh so lovely too. We ate ours with sauteed kale and garlic.

Erica’s Quick-Easy Saffron Rice

3 cups chicken broth or water
4 T butter
1 tsp sea salt
Pinch of saffron threads
1 ½ cups white basamati rice

Directions

Bring broth, butter, salt and saffron to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add rice and stir once. Cover pot and set timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, make sure all your water is absorbed and take pot off the stove and set aside for a few minutes. Fluff rice with fork and serve.

Enjoy!!

January 25, 2014

Babies, Duckies, Puppies & Yummies

Is it terrible that I am sitting here eating coconut macaroons, dreaming of ducklings and puppies? I should be like washing and folding baby clothes or something…I think my nesting instincts are more interested in researching and preparing for ducks then they are interested in washing yet another baby worth of clothes. Somehow, that doesn’t spark my fancy right now. I keep telling Alex I need to get the crib set up and he just sighs and laughs at me because we both know how well the crib worked for our other kids. Read: It Didn’t. About 2 days of no sleeping them babies are nestled right up with us in the big ol King bed and we all sleep peacefully. I have heard my fair share of negativity regarding this choice. Anyways. This is not a post about co-sleeping. This is a post about…hmmm, well…not sure really…macaroons? Mmmm… I am slightly addicted to them. That is probably an understatement. Hang on…lemme go get another one.

Ok back.

So, I got my first “To Read in 2014” (see this post for more) book in this week.

I know, I am officially a homesteading geek. I dream of lush gardens, fresh apples, country air, spring weather, bare feet, and ducks. Yes…I have actually dreamt about ducks. As part of my 2014 goals, I would really really like to get some ducklings. Why you ask? Why not chickens? Lemme give you the 5 second low-down.

Ducks are cuter. (Ok so that’s not the best reason but…)
Ducks lay eggs as much as chickens (or better!)
Ducks are much much more resistant to extreme weather (tolerate very cold and very hot without much needed help). Unlike chickens who need pampering…
Ducks are much more resistant to diseases and parasites and have less overall health issues
Duck eggs are hello good. Like for real, if you have never had a duck egg…well. Get one. I’ll give you your first one free once I’m in abundance.
Ducks are excellent foragers and LOVE to eat all sorts of bugs that chickens sometimes overlook…like Fire Ants. I sorta feel bad for them, but I sure could use some help in that department. Ducks also eat lots of hard-shelled insects that chickens sometimes overlook. I can take all the help I can get for that.
Did I mention they are cute? Ok…stop me now…

Sorry if that took you more than 5 seconds to read.

Problem is…we have so much to do before lil Mr. comes. Not to mention that money is a bit tight around here with everything that needs to get saved up for and prepped. Car seats and vehicle maintenance are eating away at my duck fund. Not that there was ever a duck fund, but I like to think there is…Sigh. And in the back of my mind I think I might be slightly crazy even entertaining the idea of getting baby ducks that will need a lot of attention right after a new baby is born. But that’s at the very back of my mind and my super woman “I-can-do-everything” mind is winning out. Naw, in all seriousness…I just want to walk out my door and collect some eggs for breakfast.

Moving on.

We recently traveled out of town for my grandmothers funeral, which was bittersweet, but we got to visit family that we hadn’t seen in years! Spent lots of time laughing and recalling memories of “Nanny”. While we were there we stayed with my uncle who had a big ol loving goldendoodle dog. We I fell in love and felt that I desperately needed one too. So, that’s where my puppy dreaming started…I really am just wishfully thinking that one will show up at a rescue near us and we can adopt since the whole tight wallet issue will most likely prevent a new dog for a while. Stop! I know what you are thinking. “Erica you need a smack upside yo head…you cannot possibly handle baby ducks, baby boys, and puppies this year.” Meh. I can dream! And if one showed up at my door, for heavens sake I would take it in. (If anyone wanted to just gift me a doodle puppy I wouldn’t resist!) Alright, alright.

Finally, I know all this posts about baby-ish things is probably making you feel a bit tired. How about I give you that recipe for the macaroons? Will you let me have a duckie and a puppy if I make you some cookies??

Mmm…coconut yumminess….

Slightly Addictive Coconut Macaroons

Barely adapted from this recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup sugar, use organic if ya got it!
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites

Method:

Dump all ingredients into a bowl and mix until sticky. Use your hands to form small (or large if you’re into that) balls. (Don’t laugh out loud at that sentence.) Place on greased cookie sheet or parchment lined sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 2o mins. The last min or so I pop the broiler on just to give them a little more toasty look. I eat them strait off the cookie sheet. I suppose if you are the patient-type person, you could wait until they cool and dip in chocolate and then wait until they cool again. But that’s way too much waiting for me.

Alright. That’s enough for one night. Leave me a comment and lemme know what you think…I feel loved.

October 2, 2013

Red Lentils and Spinach in Masala Sauce

It’s been a while since I have posted a recipe. I guess I just lack self-confidence in feeling like my recipes are “blog worthy” ya know? I don’t want anyone to make something and be like, “ew”. Although, I suppose all taste buds are different. To each his own.

I had a craving for some kind of curry/Indian/spicy dish tonight. Baby decided it would be a good night for a spicy dish. When I use this word “spicy” I am really referring to a dish with a lot of spices, not necessarily heat. So, don’t freak out this won’t burn your buds (unless of course you want it to).

I had this recipe on my menu plan for the last like 4 months and I have had yet to make it. I was very pleased with the results even though I was missing a couple of ingredients. Shhh, no one will ever know….It ended up being delightful, despite having not had everything. A great throw together, light, weeknight meal that is vegetarian and superbly healthy! Give it a whirl and let me know what you think. I am going to try some more revisions on the recipe to see if I can make it even more epic, but for now, the simple will do. Oh and by the way…it’s really not a very beautiful dish…or at least my food photography skills are seriously lacking. Sorry bout that. It’s better than it looks I promise!

Red Lentils and Spinach in Masala Sauce

Adapted from: Naturally Ella

Ingredients-Listed in two parts below!

Masala Paste:

1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
1½ teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
0-1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (depends on how hot you want. I did not add any since my kids don’t like hot).
1 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons garam marsala
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped almonds or cashews
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Additionally:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Masala paste, that you made above
1 can diced tomatoes (or approx 2 cups, chopped tomatoes)
1 can of coconut cream (in a pinch use FULL-FAT coconut milk…don’t use low fat!)
1 cup filtered water
3/4 cup red lentils (please only use red lentils, they are much different from your average brown or green lentil!)
2 cups frozen spinach or a large handful of fresh spinach
Optional Garnishes: Cilantro, Limes, Yogurt

Directions:

To make masala paste, toast cumin and coriander seeds in skillet until fragrant and wisps of smoke start to come off. Be careful not to burn! Use a mortar and pestle (or a spice grinder) to grind spices.
In a small food processor or with immersion blender, add the grated ginger, red pepper flakes (if using), paprika, cumin, coriander, garam marsala, and salt. Next, add olive oil, nuts, and tomato paste. Pulse until paste forms and everything is well incorporated. Feel free to add a few tablespoons of water if your paste is not mixing well! Set aside.
Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Melt coconut oil and add diced onion. Cook until translucent and starting to turn golden 5-10 minutes. Add in minced garlic and cook for one more minute.
Stir in masala paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, then stir in diced tomatoes and coconut cream. Stir together and bring to a boil.
Add in lentils and reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring often, until lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes. You may need to add up to a cup of extra water if the lentils start sticking to the pan. You want a thick sauce but no burning!
Stir in spinach. If using frozen, let it cook for a few mins to bring temperature back up. If you are using fresh, just toss it in and turn the burner off…it will cook in no time!
Serve with rice or your favorite grain (quinoa or even some naan bread would be good!). Spritz a bit of lime on top and add plenty of cilantro. Feel free to try with some plain yogurt as well! (I did’t try with yogurt but I imagine it would be lovely).

So there ya go! I know some of those ingredients are scary. Rest assured you can usually find these spices in bulk at places like Whole Foods. So, you don’t have to buy a huge jar of coriander seeds if you have no idea how to use them! Also, in a pinch I am sure you could already ground spices (like the cumin) if you really wanted. The flavor just wouldn’t be as pungent, so maybe toss in a dash more!

PS- Did you know that coriander seed is really cilantro seeds? Cool huh!

August 15, 2013

Chicken Korma with Soaked Rice

I realized I haven’t posted a recipe in a while. Mainly because I have been in a cooking rut. I get in those every now and then where I am lacking motivation…or ingredients…or energy…or…or, I just make excuses. I usually get most creative and inspired at the beginning of the month, right after I go shopping. Times when my fridge is stocked with lots of butter, cream, herbs, and bacon. By the end of the month we are down to eating beans and rice. Anyways. I’ve been on a good week this week, and whipped up some yummy stuff like Real Chicken Spaghetti, Tamale Pie, Zucchini Lasagna, and Chicken Korma. We even got a bit of a chilly streak of weather (it feels chilly after such a blasted hot weekend) so we even made homemade hot chocolate for dessert and watched the sunset. Ah, I can’t wait for fall.

Oh yeah…the recipe I was going to post! Ok, here it is!

Chicken Korma

Adapted from http://appetiteforchina.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup almonds (whole, or slivered if you have them!)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
5 whole cardamom pods, split open, seeds removed and crushed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced or grated ginger
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt,( homemade is delicious!)
1 dried bay leaf
2 teaspoons organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more if needed
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Big handful of chopped cilantro

Directions

Grind 1/2 of the almonds in a spice grinder. The other 1/2, chop into pieces and save for step 4.
In a small bowl, combine the ground almonds, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne pepper, paprika, cinnamon, and cloves.
Heat the butter or coconut oil in a large skillet (cast iron or stainless steel are best) over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the chicken and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it’s mostly white, about 5 minutes. Add the almond-spice mix and stir to coat the chicken and onions. You may add a little bit of water at this point if things are sticking badly to the bottom.
Add the yogurt, bay leaf, and sugar. Allow the chicken to simmer for another 7 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper as you like.
Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the remaining almond slices and chopped cilantro, and serve. It is especially delicious over soaked brown rice. (*Recipe for that below!)

My food photography skills are not superbly refined…my apologies.

Soaked Brown Rice

Ingredients

2 cups organic brown rice
4 cups filtered water
2 T raw apple cider vinegar (We use Braggs)
2 T butter, coconut oil or olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

Directions

The day before you would like to eat rice, put the rice, water and vinegar in a glass bowl (metal bowls are best avoided here!). Cover with a tea towel or lid. Set aside somewhere will it not get knocked over!
Allow this to soak from anywhere from 8-24 hours. The longer the better! (This helps reduce the phytic acid present in rice which blocks mineral absorption in your body.)
Now you have options: 1. You can dump this entire mixture into a pan and cook as described below. OR 2. You can drain the liquid in the bowl (measure the amount) and add either fresh water or chicken broth in the same amount as drained water. The rice will have absorbed some of the water, so you will drain a lot less than you originally put in the bowl. (*If the rice has been soaking for more than 12 hours I usually go with option 2…just because). It is safe either way! No worries!
Bring the rice and water/broth along with the butter and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 25-30 minutes. Because the rice is soaked it will only take 1/2 the cooking time of normal brown rice. Sweet huh?
Turn the burner off when the time is up and let the rice sit for a few mins while you finish the rest of the meal!