tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176520462024-03-07T17:38:29.896-05:00Home by 28 CooksAn urban dweller's attempt at homesteading.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger437125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-8739782912712235602017-10-30T15:25:00.001-04:002017-10-30T15:25:04.218-04:00Elderberry SyrupAs I mentioned in my <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2017/10/elderberry-immunity-brandy.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, we are huge fans of elderberry syrup around here. Elderberry syrup is great for cold/flu prevention, as well as helping to kick a cold to the curb if you already have one. We use the <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2017/10/elderberry-immunity-brandy.html" target="_blank">Elderberry brandy</a> for ourselves after we get home from work, but this syrup is great for during the work day , and perfectly safe for kids.<br />
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We've purchased elderberry syrup at the store, but it's so expensive - especially when you have 3 people taking it, so I started making my own. And it's insanely cheaper. For example, I can buy a bottle of Elderberry syrup for about $12 at my local natural foods store. Conversely, I can make a batch four times that size for about $6 in ingredients. So it's a no brainer to make our own. Plus, it only takes about 90 minutes to make a 4 cup batch.<br />
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<i style="text-align: center;"> (Mommy, can you put my truck in your picture??)</i></div>
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I start out with 1 cup of dried elderberries (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UVUHXY/ref=sxr_rr_xsim_1_s_it?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3008523062&pd_rd_wg=UAQyG&pf_rd_r=WPZK54624GWJ6ZX5VZTT&pf_rd_s=desktop-rhs-carousels&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B000UVUHXY&pd_rd_w=dlmqG&pf_rd_i=elderberry+syrup&pd_rd_r=b7d9ff35-bda5-11e7-a25c-81b247a719e1&ie=UTF8&qid=1509390510&sr=1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> is a great place to get them) and put those in a pan with 4 cups of water. I add 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 star anise, 6-7 whole cloves, and then 1/4 cup dried echinacea.<br />
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Bring to a boil after stirring well, then lower to a simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour. Strain out the spent herbs and berries with a fine strainer, and use the back of a spatula to smash any extra syrup out of them.<br />
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Then I add 3/4 cup to 1 cup raw honey. Raw honey is so good for you and is loaded with all sorts of antibacterial properties. I'm slightly obsessed with local raw honey. Each variation (wildflower, orange blossom) has it's own taste. I found a Sweet Clover Wildflower honey at my local store and it's my new obsession. The taste is unreal.<br />
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Anyway, I digress.Once your syrup has cooled to room temperature, add up to 1 cup honey. The herby taste is a little strong due to the echinacea, so if you have kids who are sensitive, I'd use the full cup. I started there with ours, and have now decreased it down to 3/4 cup and my son doesn't even know the difference.<br />
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Then store in a jar in the fridge. I know many who keep theirs in the pantry, and quite frankly, you could, but I like to be safe rather than sorry and keep mine in the fridge. For dosage, I give my son about 5ml (about 1 tsp) once per day as preventative medicine (although it's good to give your body a break every now and then, so we only take it for a week or so before taking a day off) or 5ml twice per day if he's fighting a cold. For adults, I recommend 15ml (about a tbsp) in the same frequencies.<br />
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<i>Oh label maker - how I love thee!</i></div>
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And as always, I'm not a medical professional, so please check with your health guru prior to use.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-12213616421071520402017-10-20T14:20:00.002-04:002017-10-30T15:50:08.456-04:00Elderberry Immunity BrandyHey ya'll!<br />
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It's me! Those of you who follow me on Instagram know I'm alive and well, as I post pretty frequently over there. But I haven't given the blog any love in a long time, so I've been thinking of what I wanted to post.<br />
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Some of the most frequent questions I get through Instagram are about the herbal medicines we use in the home to promote health and wellness, so I thought I'd start with a series of posts, featuring our most favorite and most used herbal recipes. I'm a huge fan of herbal medicine, and we use them quite frequently in our home. And as cold and flu season has already started around here, it was time to restock our herbal remedy cabinet. Today we're starting out with Elderberry Immunity Brandy, which is great for treating adult colds and flu, and over the next few weeks, I'll have posts with recipes for Fire Cider, Elderberry Syrup for kids, Garlic Infused Honey, and some other things. (UPDATE - here's the <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2017/10/elderberry-syrup.html" target="_blank">link for the kid-friendly version!</a>)<br />
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And <a href="https://www.instagram.com/28cooks/" target="_blank">follow me over on Instagram</a> to keep up to date with posts and new recipes too!<br />
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Elderberries are amazing for the immune system and have been used to prevent and treat colds and flus for many years. They are naturally high in immune-boosting compounds. They have also been proven to shorten the duration of a cold if you already have one. Two weeks ago, my son got sick, and then I got sick, and then my husband (as these things go) and we were able to kick it within 24-48 hours using our elderberry syrup, fire cider, and some other homeopathic things. Elderberry syrup is available in most stores, but it can be somewhat pricey, so I like to make my own. I make a different syrup (one without brandy) for the boy and I'll have that recipe next week.<br />
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I like to boost up the elderberry brandy by adding in echinacea, which is another great immune booster. Echinacea encourages the immune system and reduces many symptoms of colds, flu, as well as some other infections and illnesses. And rosehips are a source of vitamin C, aid in absorption, plus they taste really good, so I like to add them in as well.<br />
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I happen to have really good Amish stores around me that sell all of these things in bulk, but if you can't find them locally, Amazon has them, as well as <a href="https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/" target="_blank">Mountain Rose Herbs</a>, which is a fantastic place for great, solid herbal products.<br />
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In a pint jar, add 3/4 cup dried elderberries, 1 heaping tbsp of dried echinacea and 1 heaping tbsp of dried rosehips.<br />
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I also add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup raw honey. We like ours on the less sweet side, but the brandy can be powerful, so if you're sensitive, I'd add the full 1/2 cup. It will be much more syrupy. And look at this delicious raw honey. It's thick and creamy and just delicious. Plus, raw honey is loaded with all sorts of antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.<br />
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Fill the jar up with brandy. Cheap is fine. I usually pick up a large handle of whatever's on sale, as we use it a lot for tinctures and other herbal things.<br />
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Cap the jar and place it into a dark space for 4 to 6 weeks, shaking every few days or so. Strain it, using a coffee filter or cheesecloth placed into a strainer. For dosage, we usually take about 20ml (or one tablespoon) 2-3 times per day when we already have a cold, or one dose per day during cold season. Since it is brandy, I wouldn't recommend taking it before work, unless that's how you roll.<br />
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And<a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2017/10/elderberry-syrup.html" target="_blank"> here's a recipe for a kid-friendly version</a>!<br />
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<i>And standard disclaimer: I am not a licensed medical professional, so make sure to consult with your own medical gurus prior to use. </i><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-17372400870867521052016-07-31T12:47:00.000-04:002016-07-31T15:01:42.237-04:00Roasted Tomato Basil Soup for CanningIf you've been <a href="https://www.instagram.com/28cooks/" target="_blank">following me on Instagram</a> (and please do, because I update that FAR more frequently than this old blog), you know that I have been can jamming like it's my part time J.O.B. My husband has been blessed to have a summer job at our local CSA, and one of those perks is getting to bring home a ton of vegetables. I've wanted to make the most of all of the amazing bounty, so I've been trying to preserve and can things at least every other day so nothing goes to waste. What he brings home, plus our own garden has given us an incredible amount of food, which will be incredible to have on hand for the rest of the year. Between canning, dehydrating, and freezing, we've been quite busy stocking up our pantry. (and I just took a count - so far, I've canned about 200 pints of things)<br />
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Although we've gotten some tomatoes from his job, and we have a few plants in our garden, I knew I needed more to be able to preserve all the tomato based things I had on my wish list (more spicy Bloody Mary Mix, salsa, tomato vodka sauce, and then some plain tomato things). While driving through the country side yesterday, I found a little Amish place selling 25 pounds of tomatoes for $6 a box. So I did what any good canner does and picked up 4 boxes. Yeah, I'm aware that's 100 pounds of tomatoes...<br />
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We added a pressure canner this year, and I couldn't be more happy. Although it's still a little scary to use, it's no different than a pressure canner. And as long as you follow the directions, you should be good to go. <br />
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This recipe is pressure canned, although I don't see why you couldn't freeze this if you wanted to. There is probably a way to water bath can it too, but if you aren't a canning expert, I probably wouldn't try monkeying around with it as apparently, botulism is no joke. <br />
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This recipe is from the new Big Ball Book of Canning, although I tripled the recipe and then added some spices to it, so here is my version. This yielded 14 quarts, and you could easily do this in pints if you liked a smaller serving size.<br />
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<strong>Roasted Tomato Basil Soup</strong></div>
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24 pounds tomatoes, quartered, cored, and seeded</div>
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12 cloves garlic</div>
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3 tbsp. olive oil</div>
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6 cups minced onion</div>
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3 cups dry white wine</div>
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12 cups vegetable or chicken stock</div>
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3 tbsp salt, or to taste</div>
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2 tsp white pepper</div>
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1 tsp ground coriander</div>
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1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce</div>
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1/2 cup red wine vinegar</div>
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1 (18 oz) can tomato paste (optional - I used it because my soup was a little thin)</div>
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3 cups packed basil leaves, minced</div>
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Preheat oven to 375. Quarter, core, and seed tomatoes, and place cut side up on large rimmed baking sheets. Add cloves of garlic and tuck down in between tomatoes. Place in oven and bake 45 minutes to an hour, until garlic and tomatoes are nice and soft. <br />
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Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large stock pot. Add onion and saute, 8-10 minutes, until soft and tender. Add wine, and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, stock, seasonings, and tomato paste, if using. Bring to a boil and cook 20 minutes, or until heated through. Using a stick blender (or do in batches in a traditional blender), process soup until nice and smooth. Return to pot and add basil. Stir well.<br />
<br />
Ladle hot soup into hot jars, leaving a 1" headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe jar rim and apply lids, fingertip tight. Place jar on rack in pressure canner, containing recommended amount of simmering water. Place lid on canner and turn to locked position. Adjust heat to medium high. Vent steam for 10 minutes. Place the counter weight on vent; bring pressure to 10 pounds. Process pint jars for 50 minutes and quart jars for 60 minutes. Turn off heat; cool canner to zero pressure. Let stand 5 more minutes before removing lid. Cool jars in canner 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-21685818351269402332016-03-21T13:29:00.005-04:002016-03-21T13:29:56.028-04:00Sweet Onion Jam and Diet ChangesWell hello there! <br />
<br />
Spring weather is almost upon us and I can hardly stand it. This is my favorite time of year - when the sun is out more often, the days get longer, and the weather starts to get warmer. It's also when we finalize our garden plan, which I love to do. I could spend hours pouring over seed catalogs and refiguring our garden layout and planting plans. I guess that makes me a bit of a nerd, but it's all worth it late summer when we're overloaded with fresh fruits and vegetables.<br />
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Saint Patrick's Day just passed us, and since I am now Irish by marriage, I like to try and make something special each year for my husband. Usually it's shepherd's pie (his favorite), but this year I decided to switch it up. I've never actually had corned beef or pastrami, but I thought this seemed like the year to try. Wait, whaaatt?!? 28 Cooks, the vegaquarian blogger is talking about eating meat? <br />
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I guess I should back up just a bit. Most of my friends and family know this by now, but yes, it's true. I've introduced some meat back into my diet. See, I had been a vegetarian for about 12 years. I started when I was 25 after realizing how horrible my diet was and figuring that if I spent 30 days eating just vegetables, I'd eat better. 30 days turned into 12 years and I really enjoyed it. That being said, I can't deny I had some issues with it as far as getting enough protein and iron. Since I became a vegetarian, I've been anemic and had very low iron. My doctor would admonish me every year to try and supplement with more iron, but no matter how much iron rich vegetables I ate or iron supplement I tried, it just stayed low. And it wasn't really a big deal overall and I just dealt with it. Sure, I was cold often and my fingers and feet were always freezing, but I wasn't ready to give up being a vegetarian. <br />
<br />
And then I got pregnant with my son. And somewhere within my 3rd trimester, my iron became dangerously low. Because of it, I had some cardiac issues and ended up seeing a hematologist. We started some serious iron supplementation for a few weeks to see if I could get back to a better level. But several weeks of taking pills multiple times a day had little effect. He made it very clear to me that I was looking at blood transfusions, unless I did something else. And although I wasn't crazy about it, I decided that a steak sounded like a much less invasive option than all that comes with transfusions. I cried a bit over the decision, but then promptly called my dad (aka. The Grillmaster) and asked him to make me my first steak.<br />
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Now this is where I should say as a former vegetarian that it was horrible and I choked it down. But I didn't. It was actually on the tasty side. And after a few weeks of adding grassfed meat into my diet, I felt better and my lab levels were much better. I was able to stop my cardiac monitoring and the huge doses of iron I was on. It definitely wasn't an easy decision to make, but honestly my body felt so much better. And quite frankly, I would have eaten anything if it was better for my growing baby. <br />
<br />
And so now, we still eat meat occasionally. I still miss being a vegetarian and we mostly eat vegetarian at home, except for adding in meat a few times a week. And we do our best to only eat local, organic, and grass fed meat as much as possible. <br />
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Now back to our Saint Patrick's day feast - I decided this year to try something different, and decided to make pastrami. We don't have a smoker, but I found this awesome recipe. It turned out incredibly amazing. I also made a loaf of Jewish Onion Rye (recipe to come later this week) but it needed something else to spice it up. Enter the onion jam.<br />
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I know it sounds weird, but the flavors of this jam are absolutely incredible. It's slightly sweet, yet has a lovely savory flavor from the onions and red wine. It goes great with the pastrami, but is tasty enough to use in other dishes. I used it in the middle of a grilled cheese for my almost 2-year old (which he loved) and also with a chicken salad sandwich. I'm sure there are a hundred other uses and I can't wait to make another batch.<br />
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It's very easy to make and most of the cooking time is just making sure to stir it every once in a while. So go ahead and give it a try - make sure you let me know how it turned out!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Sweet Onion Jam</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Makes 2 cups</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tbsp. unsalted butter</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 1/2 cups diced onions</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/2 cup sugar</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/3 cup dry red wine</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/3 cup red wine vinegar</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/3 cup grenadine</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/4 tsp cracked mustard seed</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/4 tsp celery seed</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
pinch of salt</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook over medium high heat until soft and just translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and lower heat. Leave uncovered and cook 30-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the liquid has thickened and coats the back of the spoon. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before using.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-9813063205842536582015-11-17T15:02:00.000-05:002015-11-17T15:02:29.844-05:00Multi-grain Sandwich Bread, easy enough for beginnersFrequent readers of Home by 28 Cooks know that we are a bread lovin' family. I know, I know - gluten is evil. But gluten is also tasty. And it also happens to be one of the things that my newly-picky-and-exercising-his-independence-to-say-no-to-things-even-when-he-likes-them is one thing my 16-month old hasn't refused. Yet.<br />
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I've talked to quite a few people who are scared of bread baking. The multiple steps and rising and all of that mumbo jumbo leaves them afraid to try. And although I must admit baking fresh bread does take some extra time and care, most of it is inactive. And seriously, the result? Amazing.<br />
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This has become our new standard weekly bread recipe to make. It produces such a wonderful hearty loaf, chock full of whole grains. And seriously, it's easy. Very very easy.<br />
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I mean, look at it. Doesn't that look tasty? So if you've been hesitant to try baking bread, I urge you to give this one a try. And if you do, let me know how it turns out!<br />
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I do usually double the recipe (like I said, bread family y'all) and I've included the measurements for that down below. We use organic unbleached all purpose flour for ours, but you could also use half whole wheat or even bread flour if you want.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<b><u>Multi-grain Sandwich Bread</u></b><br />
Makes 1 8x4 or 9x5 loaf<br />
Time: about 4-5 hours, plus another 1-2 hours to cool the loaf<br />
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1/4 cup millet<br />
1/4 cup whole wheat couscous (or regular)<br />
1/4 cup steel cut oats<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)<br />
2 tablespoons honey (or molasses for a darker loaf)<br />
1 1/2 cups boiling water<br />
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2 tsp active dry yeast or 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast<br />
1/4 cup flaxseeds<br />
1 3/4 tsp salt<br />
2 1/4 cup organic all purpose flour<br />
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Add millet, couscous, oats, olive oil, and honey to a large glass bowl and stir in boiling water. Allow to cool 15-20 minutes, until temperature of water is about 100 degrees. (or whatever temperature your yeast prefers - check the package for exact temps)<br />
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Stir in yeast, then flax seeds, salt, and 1/2 cup flour. Add remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring after each addition. (I usually start to use my hands to mix it after about 1 1/4 cup). Scrape down sides of the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let mixture sit for 20 minutes. This allows the starches in the flour to absorb the water, which makes the dough smoother and easier to knead. It also allows you to add less flour, which makes a lighter loaf of bread. Fancy bread bakers call this process autolyse.<br />
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Uncover the bowl and scrape dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough about 7-8 minutes, adding light sprinkles of flour if it starts to stick. You do want the dough to be somewhat tacky when finished.<br />
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Round the dough into a ball and place into a large bowl coated with oil. Roll the ball of dough around the bowl a bit to get a light coating of oil on it. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and leave to rise until doubled, about an hour and a half. (For me, the perfect place is in my oven. I have an electric stove, so I will heat it at 400 degrees for 1 minute, and then turn off. I place the dough in and shut the door and it rises perfectly in there. Gas ovens are typically warm enough without preheating)<br />
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Grease your loaf pan with oil. Turn the dough out onto a surface very lightly dusted with flour. Pat into a rectangle, as long as your loaf pan and twice as wide. Roll the dough up snugly, cinnamon bun style, and pinch the seam shut. Tuck the ends under the loaf and roll it a few times, seam side down, to smooth it out. Place the log, seam side down, into the loaf pan. Place the entire pan into a large plastic bag (we use those plastic grocery bags) and tie the bag shut, leaving it inflated to give bread room to expand.<br />
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Let the loaf rise until doubled in bulk and 2" above the rim of the loaf pan, which usually takes about 45-60 minutes.<br />
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Place a metal or cast iron pan that you don't care about on the floor of the oven or on the lowest rack. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.<br />
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Remove the bag from the loaf pan. Fill a 1/2 cup measuring cup with ice cubes. Open the oven and quickly but gently place the loaf pan inside. Toss the ice cubes into the pan on bottom of the oven. Close the door and don't open it for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, reduce the oven to 350 degrees. Rotate the pan and bake for another 30-40 minutes. A thermometer inserted into the loaf should read 195-200.<br />
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Remove the loaf from the pan and let cool completely before cutting (the internal steam continues to cook the bread as it cools).<br />
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<i>To double the recipe, double all ingredients, except for yeast. Use 3 tsp active dry yeast or 2 1/2 tsp instant yeast. The rest of the instructions remain the same. </i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-56176500740681560022015-11-09T12:17:00.001-05:002015-11-09T12:17:30.775-05:00Acorn Squash stuffed with Wild Rice, Apples, and Toasted Pine NutsWell hello to you! Yep, it's been a long time but I'm back. Now that my kitchen helper is almost 16 months old, he loves to supervise in the kitchen from his high chair. And that means more time for me to cook and develope recipes!<br />
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Not to say I haven't been cooking the past few months, but since his attention span was so short, I was opting for quick and easy meals that I could throw together in a few minutes. The old pressure cooker and crock pot have really come in clutch the past few months. <br />
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Today I'm back with a recipe. I've actually never cooked acorn squash before, but was inspired by a friend's Instagram photo (hey Eva!) to try. And wow - was I impressed and surprised at how easy it was. Not only is it pretty quick to put together, but the flavor of the squash itself is sweet and savory, which lends itself to a wide variety of fillings.<br />
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Although I've opted for a vegan filling for this recipe, you could easily throw some sausage in yours, or amp up the crispy panko topping with parmesan. You could also toss in some dried cranberries or golden raisins for a little sweet snap of flavor!<br />
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The recipe couldn't be simpler. I halved and scooped out the seeds of 2 acorn squash, and then drizzled them with melted butter, a little sprinkle of brown sugar, and salt and pepper. They roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.<br />
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Then for the filling, I started with a lovely wild rice mixture and added some fresh apples and toasted pine nuts. If you don't have pine nuts, try toasted pecans. Either nut will add a delightful little crunch to the recipe. Topped off with panko bread crumbs, they were put back into the oven to toast the tops and bring the flavors all together. At the end, you have a delicious and savory dish that looks incredible! This would be a wonderful side dish for the upcoming holidays.<br />
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Any other tried and true ways you like to cook your acorn squash??<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Acorn Squash stuffed with Wild Rice, Apples, and Toasted Pine Nuts</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Serves 3-4</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 acorn squash</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tbsp melted butter</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Salt/pepper</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 tbsp olive oil</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/4 cup chopped onion</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 cloves garlic, minced</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice (or brown rice)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tbsp coconut aminos (or Bragg's)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp no-salt seasoning blend (I used Trader Joes 21 Seasoning Salute)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/4-1/2 tsp salt (to taste)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/4 tsp celery seed</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/2 cup diced apple</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts (or pecans or walnuts, diced)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/2 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 tbsp melted butter</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Preheat oven to 450. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, and drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake until just fork tender, about 25 minutes. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Meanwhile, heat up olive oil in medium sized pan. Saute onion 4-5 minutes, until becoming soft and opaque. Add in garlic and saute another minute or two. Remove from heat and stir in rice, aminos, seasonings, apples, and nuts. Stir well to combine. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
In a small bowl, combine butter and panko crumbs Set aside. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Remove squash from oven. Fill each piece with rice filling and top with panko crumbs. Place back into the oven and bake another 20-25 minutes, until top is toasted brown and filling in heated through. </div>
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Serve and enjoy!!</div>
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<span id="goog_915651166"></span><span id="goog_915651167"></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-91337491600959489552015-07-18T09:17:00.000-04:002015-07-18T12:03:30.064-04:00It's Zucchini Season, Y'all!So zucchini is starting to overwhelm local gardeners, so I thought I'd post a few recipes that are great for using up some of that fresh produce. I just made 2 of these recipes myself in the past week, and am sure I'll be using the rest shortly.<br />
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Although this original recipe for <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2009/11/indian-eggplant-fritters-lone-eggplant.html">Indian Fritters</a> was made with eggplant, I tried these using some fresh zucchini and they were amazing!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28cooks/4065851849/" title="Indian Eggplant Fritters by britton618, on Flickr"><img alt="Indian Eggplant Fritters" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2724/4065851849_32292c8bd4_m.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br /><br />This <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/cilantro-zucchini-hummus-i-love-to-talk.html">Cilantro Zucchini Hummus</a> is one of my favorite recipes for zucchini of all times. I just made a huge batch of this and have been using it to dip carrots into or to toss with fresh salad greens.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28cooks/2665022033/" title="Cilantro Zucchini Hummus by britton618, on Flickr"><img alt="Cilantro Zucchini Hummus" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2665022033_27141e289e_m.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br /><br />Want a quick AND easy dinner? You can have this <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/summer-vegetable-cacciatore-theres.html">Summer Vegetable Cacciatore</a> on the table in under 25 minutes. You can't beat that!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28cooks/2625916899/" title="Vegetable Cacciatore I by britton618, on Flickr"><img alt="Vegetable Cacciatore I" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/2625916899_34bebdab78_m.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br /><br />This oldie-but-goodie recipe is quick, easy, and tasty. I made this <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2006/10/curried-zucchini-soup-who-doesnt-love.html">Curried Zucchini Soup</a> a few weeks ago and it was the perfect meal. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28cooks/267902489/" title="Curried Zucchini Soup by britton618, on Flickr"><img alt="Curried Zucchini Soup" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/122/267902489_915541a146_m.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-79468336709267350582015-07-16T15:10:00.000-04:002015-07-16T15:10:05.490-04:00Roasted Poblano and Summer Squash SoupSummer seems like an odd time to be eating soup, doesn't it? Yet for some reason, this week, I've been craving it. But even if you're not up to a hot bowl of something when it's hot outside, summer is a great time to make a soup and freeze for cooler times.<br />
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I know I'm not alone in having an overwhelming abundance in summer squash and zucchini. This year, I'm determined to use up every single one in a new way. So far, it's been going great. We've made Bread and Butter pickles with squash, and they are exceptional! I'll be posting a recipe later this week.<br />
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Our pepper plants also seem to be working overtime, and I just picked some lovely poblano peppers this morning that I wanted to use up. You can't go wrong roasting vegetables for soup, so I decided to throw some zucchini and poblanos in the oven and then make a soup. I also threw in a red onion and some garlic, because why not?<br />
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Here it is after roasting in the oven, in all of it's roasted gloriousness.<br />
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After roasting, the rest of the soup couldn't be easier. Simply add water or stock, a few spices, and blend it all up in a blender or with an immersion blender. And viola! You've got yourself a bowl of warm summery goodness. <br />
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This soup also freezes extremely well, so make a double or triple batch and put some away for the winter.<br />
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What are you doing with your zucchini abundance? And if you need some more zucchini recipes, check back tomorrow for some ideas!<br />
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<strong>Roasted Poblano and Summer Squash Soup</strong></div>
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3 large summer squash, seeded and roughly chopped into 2-3" pieces</div>
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2 poblanos, seeded and cut into eights</div>
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3 cloves garlic</div>
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1 medium red onion, quartered</div>
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2-3 tbsp. olive oil</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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Pepper</div>
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4 cups water (or stock)</div>
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1/2 tsp cumin</div>
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1/2 tsp garam masala</div>
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1/2 tsp white wine vinegar</div>
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salt to taste</div>
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Heat oven to 425. Place squash, poblanos, garlic, and red onion in 13x9 baking pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well and place into oven. Roast 30-45 minutes until vegetables are soft and browned. Place into a large soup pan over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and blend with an immersion blender. Serve and enjoy!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-80014303881899356312015-06-23T08:04:00.001-04:002015-06-23T08:04:50.893-04:00Sourdough Focaccia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Those that know me are aware of my passion for bread baking. The entire process just makes me happy. And earlier this year, I resolved to conquer my fear of sourdough. At some point in the past, I tried the "DIY sourdough starter" and it didn't work and ended up getting pretty gross. A few months ago, I found a starter in one of my favorite health food stores, so I thought I'd try it again. And it's been wonderful.<br />
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We lovingly refer to the starter as "Hank," because, well, everything in our house gets nicknames. So we'll talk about feeding Hank and making sure Hank has had dinner and well...Hank has really become part of the family. <br />
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Here's his home on top of my fridge.<br />
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Anyway, so Hank has been maturing and has the most delightful "sourdough" smell to him and makes the best breads. I've tried him in baguettes and multigrain sandwich bread and pancakes and there's still so many things I want to try. <br />
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But one of my favorites is sourdough focaccia. This recipe is definitely a staple around here and we make it.....let's just say we make it rather frequently. But it's easy and you can top it in so many ways. Today's variety was just Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cracked pepper and coarse sea salt.<br />
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Or we've done kalamata olives and thinly sliced onion. Or my favorite combination - raisin and rosemary. Seriously it's crazy delicious. But what I love about the recipe is it's relatively simple. You mix it all up, knead it for a few minutes, let it rise twice, and then it's ready to go. <br />
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There are so many great primers out there for sourdough, so I won't go into the nitty gritty, but suffice it to say it's so much easier than I thought and it really doesn't require a lot of extra work. I keep Hank out on top of my fridge because I use starter almost every day (between baking and giving it to friends) but you can easily keep it in the fridge and only feed it once a week. Very very easy. So give sourdough a try. It's so worth the effort.<br />
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And if you live close, you're welcome to stop by and get a little Hank Jr. to take home.<br />
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<strong>Sourdough Focaccia</strong><br />
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1 cup sourdough starter, fed or unfed<br />
3/4 cup warm water<br />
2 tsp instant yeast<br />
3 cups flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp salt<br />
3 tbsp. olive oil<br />
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<u>Topping</u><br />
1-2 tbsp. olive oil<br />
Italian seasoning, garlic powder, coarse sea salt, pepper, etc<br />
kalamata olives, onions, etc<br />
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Combine all dough ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together well and knead for 5-7 minutes until dough is smooth. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rise for at least an hour. Punch down, then let rise again for at least another hour. <br />
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Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan or cookie sheet and pat or roll dough into a long rectangle in the pan. Brush the olive oil over the dough and sprinkle with herbs and desired toppings. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes. <br />
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Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425. Remove plastic wrap and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from pan and slice when warm.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-3937274294600977252015-06-03T06:50:00.000-04:002015-06-03T06:56:37.288-04:00Clean-Out-The-Fridge Crockpot CurryAround these parts, we like to do <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2010/08/pantry-week-begins-spicy-zucchini-and.html" target="_blank">Pantry Week</a> every once in awhile, which is a great opportunity to use up some of those items that seem to languish forever in the fridge and pantry. It's also a great time to clean out any of those just-about-to-turn vegetables that seem to lurk in the corners. <br />
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This recipe is perfect for Pantry Week and Clean Out The Fridge days. You can use pretty much any vegetable that you want, and the rest is just spices and items that you probably have in your pantry already. And it spends a few hours simmering in the crockpot after only a few minutes of throwing everything together, so it comes in clutch for those days you don't have much time.<br />
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I used a potato, onion, some carrots, and a zucchini, but you could easily use mushrooms, sweet potatoes, celery, green peppers, or whatever else you want. A can of garbanzos was thrown in, but feel free to use black beans, navy beans, or cannellini beans if you want. I've even thrown in a cup of uncooked red lentils, which cook up beautifully. Seriously - don't overthink it. Just chop up your vegetables, mix in the rest of the ingredients, and let it simmer for 6-7 hours. <br />
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It's deliciously warm and comforting with just the amount of spice. We had it over green bamboo rice that's been eyeballing me from the corner of the pantry for an embarrassingly long time, but you could easily use quinoa, your favorite rice, or any other grain that makes you happy.<br />
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So go ahead, clean out that pantry and fridge and give this recipe a try!<br />
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Clean Out The Fridge Crockpot Curry<br />
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1 potato, chopped<br />
1 medium onion, chopped<br />
1 zucchini, chopped<br />
2 large handfuls of baby carrots, chopped<br />
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed<br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce<br />
1 cup vegetable broth<br />
1 tsp garam masala<br />
1 tsp ground coriander<br />
1 tsp cumin<br />
1 tsp smoked paprika<br />
1/2 tsp yellow mustard seed<br />
1/2 tsp turmeric<br />
1/2 tsp ginger<br />
1/4 tsp celery seed<br />
1/4 tsp (or more) cayenne<br />
Salt/pepper to taste<br />
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Combine all ingredients in crockpot and simmer on low for 6-7 hours, until vegetables are tender.<br />
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Looking for more Pantry Week recipes? Try these!<br />
<a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2010/08/pantry-week-begins-spicy-zucchini-and.html" target="_blank">Spicy Zucchini and Mushroom Saute</a><br />
<a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/grilled-enchilada-pizza-and-garden.html" target="_blank">Grilled Enchilada Pizza</a><br />
<a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2010/08/no-knead-bread-okay-so-im-smack-in.html" target="_blank">No Knead Bread</a><br />
<a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/roasted-eggplant-and-tomato-bisque-with.html" target="_blank">Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Bisque</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-28192768090426541472015-06-01T12:29:00.002-04:002015-06-01T12:29:47.041-04:00A Garden UpdateCan't believe how fast time is flying. Here it is - already the first day of June. In just a little over a month, the baby will be a year old. How did that happen so fast?!?<br />
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We've been so busy working on a project which we'll be sharing later on our blog, but for now, I thought we'd do a little update of what our garden looks like right now. I apologize in advance for the picture heavy post.<br />
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We'll start with fruit. Our black raspberry bushes have EXPLODED in our yard, which is fine by us! We planted 2, just 2, small plants 2 years ago. Last year, we picked 9 QUARTS from those bushes. This year, we will far far outdo that total. <br />
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They should be ready in a few weeks, and I can't wait.<br />
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We also added a potted blueberry bush this year. We don't have any real space to devote to any more fruit, so we've started adding some things in containers. This tiny bush has a surprising amount of fruit on it!<br />
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I've been wanting a citrus tree for years. Not only do the flowers smell amazing, but then you get citrus fruit from them! This year, we added a Meyer lemon tree, and we already have quite a few tiny fruits on it. I can't wait to see how this turns out.<br />
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Now on to the vegetables. One thing I really like about the gardening process is that it's an everchanging game. Every year, we make adjustments, crossing things off the list we don't really use or that don't have a good return on the space they take up. Last year, we learned that although we love watermelons and broccoli and cauliflower, they just take up far too much space in our little yard to make it worth our while. Some things stay on the list though, like tomatoes. Here's our tomato beds.<br />
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Here's our peppers and eggplants. And yes, we need to weed like WHOA! =)<br />
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We also have kale and lettuce, which is doing quite nicely. (You can see our cinderblock strawberry plants around the border)<br />
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Then we also have a cucumber and squash raised bed. This year, we planted patty pan, yellow squash, 8 ball squash and 2 types of cukes.<br />
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Hello little squash baby!<br />
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And here the herb section. We have lovage, basil, chamomile, oregano, sage, rosemary, parsley, chives, stevia, and thyme. <br />
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You can see the lemon balm has exploded.<br />
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And every year, we like to try something different. Last year, we did dried beans and they turned out quite amazing and will be a repeat. This year, we decided to try peanuts! We have 2 going in our potato bags and so far, so good. <br />
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We still have to plant our beans later this month, and we have 2 flower beds that are planted but are pretty boring to look at right now so I'll share those when there are more blooms going on. Here's the only thing blooming so far - a gorgeous fuchsia plant. <br />
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Hope your gardens are doing well!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-72730480276407852072015-05-28T14:51:00.002-04:002015-05-28T14:58:36.972-04:00Hearty Indian-spiced Chickpea SaladWe make this recipe pretty much on a weekly basis round here in the 28 Cooks kitchen and I just realized I've never shared it on my blog. So let's rectify that immediately.<br />
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Vegetarians and vegans are often left out of the sandwich game. Sure, cheese sandwiches and veggie sandwiches have their place, but you can only eat so many of them. Sometimes you want something hearty - something that sticks with you. You want to open your lunch bag at work, pull out a sandwich and have people say "Now that looks tasty! What is that??" Enter the chickpea salad. <br />
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Everyone and their mother on Pinterest has some version of this salad, but I'd like to think mine is up there with some of the tastiest ones. And it couldn't be easier. <br />
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Start with chickpeas. You can use canned chickpeas, although we keep some in the freezer at all times just for this recipe. <br />
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Never tried freezing chickpeas? It's simple - take 4 cups dried chickpeas (or any dried bean for that matter) and add to pressure cooker with 6 cups water. And no, I don't mess with any of that presoaking nonsense. Ain't nobody got time for that. Sometimes I'll get real fancy and throw in a bay leaf or two, but more often than not, it's just the beans and water. Cover, bring to pressure, and cook per your pressure cooker's instructions. (Mine take about 45 minutes) Release pressure, rinse in cool water, dry, and freeze in bags. <br />
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Anyway, take some chickpeas, and add chopped carrots, onions, and pickles. Add celery if you want. There really is no wrong answer here. I like my salad on the drier side so I add just enough mayo to pull it together. Add more if you want. Mix in the spices and boom! You've got chickpea salad.<br />
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This makes great sandwiches and packs really well for brown bag lunches. My very favorite bread is a Rosemary Raisin variation of my <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2015/05/one-hour-parmesan-peppercorn-french.html" target="_blank">One Hour French Bread recipe</a>. Or keep it gluten free and put on top of a salad or in a lettuce wrap. <br />
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Hearty Indian-spiced Chickpea Salad<br />
3 cups (or 2 cans) rinsed and drained chickpeas<br />
4 tbsp. mayo (more or less, depending on your preference. Use vegenaise to keep it vegan)<br />
1/2 cup chopped carrots<br />
1/2 cup chopped onion<br />
1/4 cup chopped pickles<br />
3/4 tsp curry powder<br />
1/2 tsp cumin<br />
1/2 tsp ground coriander<br />
1/4 tsp celery seed<br />
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
Freshly cracked pepper to taste<br />
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Place chickpeas in a bowl and mash with a potato masher. I like a little texture in mine, but feel free to smash them as much as you want. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Allow salad to chill in the fridge for an hour or two for flavors to get all friendly like. Enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-66312907932584752512015-05-21T18:50:00.000-04:002015-05-21T19:02:55.893-04:00Baked Wild Cod with Tapenade and Pine Nut BreadcrumbsWho doesn't love a recipe that delivers big on flavors and taste, yet only requires about 10 minutes of active cooking time, 20 minutes in the oven, and only 6 ingredients?? This is the kind of recipe you keep on hand for guests that's easy yet looks like you spent hours in the kitchen making it.<br />
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I love a good baked fish recipe. My husband came home with a lovely piece of wild cod and I needed a quick and easy recipe that didn't require a lot of time and attention. <br />
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I made a little breadcrumb mixture by just processing 2 small slices of bread<a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2015/05/one-hour-parmesan-peppercorn-french.html" target="_blank"> I made earlier in the week</a> and pine nuts.<br />
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I toasted them on the stove in a bit of olive oil until they were nice and crispy. While they were cooking, I mixed a bit of mayonnaise with a few spoonfuls of tapenade, which was spread on the fish. I love this one from Trader Joes, but feel free to use whatever brand you want. <br />
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Or if you don't have tapenade, just chop up some olives! Don't like olives? Try some pesto instead!<br />
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The crumbs were then patted on top of the fish and into the oven it went. After 20 minutes of baking, it came out flaky, delicious, and moist. This recipe is definitely going to be on the "repeat" list.<br />
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<strong>Baked Wild Cod with Tapenade and Pine Nut Breadcrumbs</strong></div>
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2 slices of bread</div>
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1/4 cup pine nuts</div>
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3 tsp olive oil</div>
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1 lb filet of wild cod (or tilapia, halibut, flounder, etc)</div>
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salt/pepper</div>
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2 tbsp. mayonnaise</div>
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4 tsp prepared tapenade</div>
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Heat oven to 425. In small food processor, process bread and pine nuts until coarse crumbs form. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in small skillet. Add crumbs and stir well, coating with oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until crumbs are golden brown. Meanwhile, season fish with salt and pepper and place in lightly oiled baking dish. In a small bowl, combine mayo and tapenade. Spread onto fish. Remove breadcrumbs from heat and spread on top of fish. </div>
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Place fish in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove from oven and serve.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-91224383520113784262015-05-20T10:40:00.000-04:002015-05-20T10:40:22.263-04:00Chive Blossom VinegarI've always been a warm weather girl. Blame it on my California roots, but there is nothing like spring and summer to me. I'm even one of those weird ones that doesn't mind humidity at all and almost relishes that "I can't breathe" feeling when you open the doors on a hot and humid summer day.<br />
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Some of my favorite childhood summer memories are from spending hours outside in the garden with my mom, who has the most incredible green thumb. When I was too young to really help, she'd give me a spray bottle and have me "water the plants." It was the coolest thing to me when I was young and I remember doing it for what seemed like hours.<br />
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Now that we have our own garden, there's nothing I love more than spending time outside, planting, trimming, and harvesting from our garden. Later this week, I'll give you a tour of what's in there this year, but today, let's talk about something from my herb garden.<br />
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Chives are some of the most effortless herbs to grown, because no matter what you do or how you neglect them, there's always some lovely purple chive blossoms every Spring. Last year, I decided to make some chive blossom vinegar and I think it just might be my new favorite way to use them. It has the most delicious mild onion flavor and is incredible for making salad dressings, adding to summer potato salads, or balancing the flavors in a light summer soup. <br />
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Chive blossom vinegar really couldn't be easier to make. You can make as small or as large of a batch as you want - simply cut as many blossoms that can fill a small mason jar. I use my salad spinner to give them a quick rinse and then spin them dry. <br />
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Pack into a mason jar and fill with whatever vinegar you choose. Last year, I used white wine vinegar and this year, I decided to go with an apple cider vinegar. Fill and top jar with a non-corrosive lid. I used plastic, but I've also used the traditional metal ring lid with a piece of parchment paper underneath to protect from corrosion.<br />
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Place in a cool dark place for a few weeks (I just put them in the back of my fridge) and wait. After 2-3 weeks, remove from fridge and strain out blossoms. You'll be left with the most gorgeous dark pink vinegar. Store the fridge indefinitely, although ours never seems to last long.<br />
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Enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-15017074408079877392015-05-13T08:25:00.001-04:002015-05-13T08:30:43.544-04:00One-hour Parmesan Peppercorn French Bread, aka. my very favorite quick bread recipeIt's no secret that I love baking bread. I love the entire process - the kneading by hand, the multi-step process of rising and punching down and rising. My kitchen is stocked with specialty bread pans, sourdough starters, and banetton baskets. <br />
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But I've got a 10-month old now, which means my time in the kitchen has to be shorter and well planned. So an all day bread recipe that requires several carefully timed steps just doesn't fit in my day. Enter Saf-Instant yeast. Saf-Instant can be added directly to your dry ingredients without it having to be activated in water first and is more than twice as active as regular compressed yeast. Which means you can have freshly baked bread on the table in an hour. No, seriously.<br />
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This recipe is a life saver. It requires about 10 minutes of active time (mixing, kneading, etc) and then 25 minutes to rise and 25 minutes in the oven. That's it. And then you have fresh bread coming out of the oven. And this dough is so versatile and can be shaped into French bread loaves, sandwich loaves, or even hamburger/hoagie buns. You can make it plain or you can jazz it up, like the recipe below. Here it is, all dressed up with parmesan cheese and freshly cracked peppercorn. <br />
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Other variations that have been amazing? Italian seasoning and garlic powder, brown sugar and raisins, feta cheese and kalamata olive, sharp cheddar and diced jalapeno - the list goes on and on. Just use whatever strikes your fancy!<br />
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This recipe makes 2 French bread sized loaves, so you can do more than one type if you want! Or give the extra to a friend, because who doesn't love freshly baked bread? <br />
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Oh, and this bread makes fantastic toast!<br />
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<strong>One-Hour Parmesan Peppercorn French Bread</strong><br />
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5 1/4 cups flour (I've used AP flour, whole wheat, and bread flour and they all come out great)<br />
3 tbsp. sugar<br />
1 1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 1/2 tbsp. yeast<br />
1 1/2 tbsp. oil (I usually use olive oil)<br />
2 cups warm water (around 100 degrees F)<br />
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese<br />
1 tbsp. freshly cracked coarse peppercorns<br />
Coarse sea salt for topping (optional)<br />
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Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Make a well in the center and add wet ingredients. Mix into dry ingredients for a minute until it's mostly all together. Dump out on the counter and knead for 4-5 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll each ball of dough in a large rectangularish shape about 1/4" thick. Sprinkle dough with half parmesan cheese and peppercorn. Roll up dough, starting with the long side. Place seam side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with other ball of dough. Top with coarse sea salt if desired. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place for 25 minutes.<br />
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Preheat oven to 350. Remove plastic wrap from risen dough and slash the top with a sharp knife or razor. Place dough in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cooling racks. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-62086849412610434282015-05-11T11:01:00.003-04:002015-05-11T11:01:31.270-04:00Lemon Balm & Sage jellyA few years ago, I put in a small raised bed herb garden. I planted a few things and every year, I'll fill in empty spots with new herbs. I don't remember planting Lemon Balm, but was pleasantly surprised to see it make an appearance this spring. The smell is intoxicating and every time I was weeding or doing something in the garden, I'd walk past and grab a leaf and smell it.<br />
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I did some research on lemon balm and Wow! There are a ton of benefits and uses for this wonderful and medicinal herb, including mosquito repellant, used for healing cold sores and fevers, good for conditioner for oily hair or in face washes for acne, and the list goes on and on. I flipped through several recipes for it and jotted several down, but for some reason, making an herb jelly just kept popping up in my mind.<br />
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If you've ever planted a sage plant in your herb garden, you know that it will grow like CRAAAAZZYY and produce far more sage than any normal person could ever consume, although we try hard to use ours up! I decided to also throw in some sage and it really adds a nice note to the jelly.<br />
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If you're new to jelly making, this is about as easy as a recipe as you can find. I've included instructions for easy no-hot water bath canning, or you can hot water bath process for 10 minutes. And here's another jelly recipe that is super easy and makes good use of summer produce - <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2006/02/hot-pepper-and-garlic-jelly-i-recently.html" target="_blank">Hot Pepper Garlic</a> Jelly!<br />
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<strong>Lemon Balm Jelly</strong><br /><br />1 c. lemon balm, washed well<br />
1/4 c sage leaves, washed well<br />3 c. water<br />1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />6 1/2 c. sugar<br />1 packet Liquid Certo<br />
1 tbsp. minced lemon balm leaves<br />
Bring water to near boil, add herbs, and steep lemon balm and sage for 10-20 minutes. Strain well and discard leaves. Bring herb infusion and sugar to a rolling boil, add pectin and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in minced lemon balm leaves. Pour into 1/2 pint jars and seal.<br /><br />*The easiest way to can is this - wash and dry canning jars thoroughly. Place lids and rings in a pot of barely simmering water. Once jelly is ready, fill a jar, leaving about a 1/4" headspace. With tongs, remove lid and ring from water, place on jar, and tighten, although not all the way. Turn jar upside down on a dishtowel. Repeat with remaining jars. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Turn upright and allow to seal. Tighten rings on all jars. If any of the jars don't seal, simply store in the refrigerator once cool. The other jars can be stored in a pantry for 8 months to a year, if it lasts that long.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-39190427197969738722014-07-15T09:00:00.000-04:002015-05-11T11:25:48.711-04:00Summer ChiliAlthough it's been John Blazin' hot outside around these parts, I was still craving something spicy, warm, and filling one night after work. I also knew it needed to be good enough to save for leftovers for lunches. I found a recipe online for something called Spicy Skillet Mac, which seemed like a recreation of a dish my mom used to make when I was young, lovingly called "Friday Night Special." It was ground beef and and pasta and cheese with a spicy tomato sauce. <br />
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I was immediately intrigued by the idea but knew I wanted to keep it gluten free. (Not that we have gluten intolerance, but we try to eat as gluten free as possible). Combine that with an overwhelming amount of summer squash from our garden, and this idea was born.<br />
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I call this summer chili - it still has the beans and the meat (faux for us vegetarians) and the spiciness. But the zucchini keeps it lighter than normal, and you could easily add in any other veggies that float your boat. We used onion, bell peppers, jalapenos, and squash from our garden, but I could see carrots, corn, eggplant, and a host of other options.<br />
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Oh, and for those keeping track - I did actually use my stove for this, making a grand total of 3 times since May. <br />
Enjoy!<br />
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<strong>Summer Chili</strong><br />
<em>Serves 6-8</em><br />
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3 tbsp olive oil<br />
1 1/2 cup diced onion<br />
1 1/2 cup diced green pepper<br />
2 jalapenos, diced<br />
3 cloves garlic, minced<br />
6 cups diced zucchini<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
2 tbsp chili powder<br />
1 tsp ground chipotle chili powder<br />
2 tsp cumin<br />
1 tsp dried oregano<br />
1 tsp dried thyme<br />
1 (12oz) package Morningstar Crumbles<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
1 (15oz) can petite diced tomatoes<br />
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce<br />
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained<br />
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro<br />
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In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, pepper, and jalapeno. <br />
Saute for 3 minutes, then add zucchini and garlic. Saute for another 5-8 minutes, until peppers and onions are soft. Add remaining ingredients, except for cilantro, and stir well. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Cook for another 15-20 minutes until zucchini is soft. You can let this simmer much longer if you need to. Stir in cilantro before serving. Enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-70452993631720286692014-06-26T09:28:00.000-04:002015-05-11T11:26:07.996-04:00Fresh Herb MarinadeOne of my favorite things this year about my garden is the herb box I put in. There is something about going out the back door, walking a few steps, and harvesting some fresh herbs to add into meals. And there's just nothing like fresh herbs. The flavors, the smells - amazing.<br />
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My basil and parsley has been doing very well, so I wanted to use a bunch of it up. Obviously, it needed to be a grilling recipe (I've only used my stove once since the beginning of May) so it seemed like the perfect idea to make a marinade for fish. This marinade would also do well on chicken or pork, if you are so inclined.<br />
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And the recipe is dead easy. Chop up a bunch of fresh herbs, add a few more ingredients and you have a marinade! <br />
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You could easily bake or saute your protein once it's marinated for awhile, but grilling turns the herbs into little crispy flavor chips of deliciousness. But regardless how you cook it, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy yet flavorful this marinade is.<br />
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<br />
<strong>Fresh Herb Marinade</strong><br />
Makes 1 batch<br />
<br />
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves<br />
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves<br />
3 tbsp olive oil<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp pepper<br />
1 tbsp lemon juice<br />
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Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl. My favorite way to marinate anything is to throw it into a Ziplock bag. Allow fish (or other carniverous things) to marinate at least for a few hours. Discard any leftover marinade. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-55590901360403985362014-06-24T09:51:00.000-04:002015-05-11T11:26:30.814-04:00Kale Salad with Garlic VinaigretteMan, our garden is overflowing and we're loving every minute of it. You just can't beat going outside to harvest something and then eating it an hour later for dinner. It's probably one of my favorite things this summer.<br />
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Our kale has done so well this year. I planted it in our larger garden area up against the fence and was worried about it earlier in the season, as I was afraid the fence was blocking out some of the afternoon sun. Turns out it's the perfect space, as it keeps it from that blazing hot sun that can cause it to get woody and end the harvest! We're still getting pounds of it weekly, and I'll take it as long as it wants to keep growing. This is our delicious Red Russian Kale that we grew from seedlings.<br />
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One of our favorite things to experiment with this summer has been making our own vinaigrettes. Not only is it easy, but there are so many variations you can make it just minutes. Seriously! This recipe took about 5 minutes from start to finish, and most of that was just shaking the jar. <br />
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So you can have a healthy homemade dressing on the table in a flash. Imagine how that'll impress last minute dinner guests. "Oh this delicious dressing? I just threw it together."<br />
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The secret to a tasty kale salad is in the preparation of it. You really have to massage it for the perfect texture. "Excuse me - did you say massage?" Yep, I sure did. Don't worry - it's an easy process. But it really helps to soften up the leaf and gives it an amazing texture! You just simply pour the dressing on, and then mix it well with your hands for a few minutes. It's a little bit messy of a process, but I promise you the rewards are so well worth it.<br />
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<strong>Kale Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette</strong><br />
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1 large bunch of kale, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces<br />
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<em>Garlic Vinaigrette</em><br />
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil<br />
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar (or white wine vinegar)<br />
1 tbsp stone ground mustard<br />
1 tsp agave<br />
3 cloves minced garlic<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Add all ingredients to a small mason jar. Place lid on jar and shake until well combined. Yup, that's it. Then drizzle over kale and mix with hands for a few minutes until well dressed. Serve and enjoy!<br />
This also lasts well in the fridge overnight, so it's perfect for taking to work the next day for lunch!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-51934675301989740302014-06-12T09:33:00.000-04:002015-05-11T11:26:49.708-04:00Banh Mi Salad with Grilled Mahi Mahi and Spicy Peanut DressingSeriously, I love me some summer. I mean, there just isn't anything I don't like about it. I'm even one of those weird people that love that feeling that you get when you walk outside in the blazing humid heat and feel like you can't breathe because the air is so thick and heavy. I wait for that feeling every year.<br />
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This summer is even better because we're enjoying our yard for the first full season and everything that comes along with it. My DVR'd tv shows are happily piling up, due to the fact that we spend almost every free minute we can outside in the garden, either working, reading, eating dinner, or just relaxing.<br />
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This recipe sort of came together when I was looking for something to do with some mahi mahi filets. I also had just picked some snow peas from the garden and really wanted some sort of salad to include them. As I kicked around some ideas, I remembered the Banh Mi sandwich, which is a traditional sandwich with some sort of protein, carrots, herbs, and other pickled vegetables. I also thought about how much I love that little spicy sauce that comes along with my favorite noodle bowl from the local Vietnamese restaurant. I pulled a few ideas together and shazam - here we are.<br />
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Although the salad doesn't contain all the ingredients found on a Banh Mi, you can really add to or subtract whatever you want from it. This one contains slivered carrots and cucumbers, sliced red bell pepper, fresh snow peas, and chopped scallions. I then topped it with fresh cilantro and mint for a real flavor explosion.<br />
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Then came the mahi mahi. I liberally slathered it with red curry paste, let it sit in the fridge for a few hours, and then grilled it. Although I used fish, you could easily substitute chicken breast and prepare it the same way if you're one of those meat-eatin' folks. (funny story about curry paste - I have a weird thing with it. Every time I see it in the store, I have to buy a can of it, regardless of how many I have at home. Sort of like that "Catcher in the Rye" obsession Mel Gibson has in Conspiracy Theory. Good thing I love it.)<br />
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And that's it. Assemble the salad and go. It's delicious and easy and the flavors are AMAZING. There's some heat from the curry paste and then the cooling flavors of the fresh vegetables and peanut dressing. So go ahead and give this recipe a try. I promise it won't disappoint.<br />
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<strong>Banh Mi Salad with Grilled Mahi Mahi and Spicy Peanut Dressing</strong><br />
<strong>Serves 4</strong><br />
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4 mahi mahi filets (thawed if using frozen)<br />
1 can red curry paste<br />
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Dressing<br />
1/3 cup fresh lime juice<br />
1 tbsp fish sauce<br />
1 tsp Asian garlic chili sauce (or sriracha)<br />
2 tbsp natural peanut butter<br />
1 tsp agave<br />
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Salad<br />
1 head romaine, torn into pieces<br />
Few handfuls of snow peas<br />
2 Carrots, cut into slivers<br />
1 Cucumber, cut into slivers<br />
3 baby red peppers, sliced<br />
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped<br />
1/2 cup mint, chopped<br />
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Rub red curry paste into fish and allow to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. <br />
In a small food processor, add all dressing ingredients and process until creamy and well combined. <br />
Preheat grill to medium high and grill fish until cooked. (My mahi mahi filets took about 4 minutes each side) Assemble salad ingredients on a plate and drizzle with dressing. Place cooked fish on top and enjoy!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-59455111357409320812014-06-10T10:08:00.000-04:002015-05-11T11:27:11.297-04:00Strawberry Rosemary White Wine SangriaThere is nothing like a glass of cold sangria on a hot summer day. And although I love the recipes that have plenty of fruit and other ingredients and take a few hours to blend flavors, sometimes you just need something quick. <br />
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I love this recipe. Not only did it make good use of the absolutely delicious strawberries we picked last week, but I was also able to use some of the gorgeous rosemary growing in my herb garden. And not only is this tasty, it's extremely quick to make! So now you have the perfect quick little drink to offer guests this summer. <br />
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You can make this recipe with whatever white wine tickles your fancy. Here I used Pinot Grigio, but you can also use Sauvignon Blanc or Moscato if sweet is your thing.<br />
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<strong>Strawberry Rosemary Sangria</strong><br />
<strong>Makes 1 drink</strong><br />
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5-7 strawberries<br />
1" sprig of fresh rosemary<br />
2 tsp St. Germaine liquer<br />
4 ounces Pinot Grigio<br />
Club soda & ice<br />
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Muddle 5-7 strawberries and the rosemary in the bottom of a cocktail glass. Add St. Germaine to the muddled mixture. Fill glass with ice and pour Pinot Grigio into glass. Top up with club soda. If you're feeling fancy, garnish with another sprig of rosemary and sliced strawberries. Serve and enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-52680663091474849912014-06-06T09:37:00.000-04:002015-05-11T11:27:26.492-04:00Garden UpdateWell, the garden is in full swing and things have gotten busy around here. It is literally bursting with fresh produce and we are having so much fun devising new ways to use it, as well as enjoying sharing it with friends and family.<br />
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We had a few very hot days last week, which were great for some things and not so good for otrahers. Our broccoli raab bolted, but we harvested almost 2 pounds of raab before it did. But some of the other plants loved the hot weather.<br />
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This past weekend was all about strawberries. The local berry farm finally opened for the Pick-Your-Own at $1.45/pound. We picked a little over 22 pounds for under $30. You just can't beat that - not only in the price, but in the delicious taste! They are the reason why I can't bring myself to purchase strawberries from the grocery store in the winter. And I'm a very bad blogger - not a picture to be had of the fresh berries. But what if I promise you a strawberry recipe this weekend???<br />
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And speaking of strawberries, check out how cute the little blossoms are on our cinder block berries!<br />
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Ready for some more garden pictures?? How neat are these radishes? We planted watermelon radishes this year, which are white on the outside and red on the inside. These are still growing and will become a deeper red on the inside, but aren't they already gorgeous?? I just wish I liked them. Thankfully my husband is a huge fan, so this radish harvest is all him.<br />
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Our peas are doing wonderfully well. Tonight I'm hoping to pick them and will freeze a good portion so we can enjoy these all winter. I'll have to save some for eating now, though, since they are so amazingly delicious. We've literally just been eating them straight off the plant.<br />
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Our carrots and onions are also doing very well. I'm going to dig up a carrot soon to see how they are growing. <br />
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We've also had quite the good kale and lettuce harvest. Our butter crunch lettuce is wonderfully delicious and tender. I just wish there was a way to enjoy it all year long. It's so good. Our eggplants and pepper plants are also doing well. This is my first time growing eggplant (and we did it from seed!) so I can't wait to see how this harvest turns out. The plants are looking good though.</div>
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And our cauliflower and broccoli finally started to make an appearance. Isn't this cheddar cauliflower just the cutest little thing?</div>
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The rest of the garden is looking great too. Our potatoes continue to do well in their baskets, and our raspberry plants are looking really good. We started zucchini and cucumber plants form seeds and they are growing quickly. Can't wait for those to start producing. </div>
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I'll leave you with pictures of the flowers. They are doing so well and I love the color they add to our little backyard farm. Happy Thursday, y'all!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-63151278767589309732014-05-28T10:57:00.000-04:002015-05-11T11:27:49.101-04:00Perfect Recipes for Spring and Summer ProduceOne of the things that I love about summer is the overabundance of fresh vegetables and fruit. And not only is it abundant, but prices are super cheap at local Farmer's markets and roadside stands. This year, I'm also excited about my own garden, which is steadily churning out an abundance of fresh veggies.<br />
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I thought I'd start highlighting a few recipes from the 28 Cooks archives that are perfect for using up that spring and summer produce. I'll do this every other week or so, so be sure to check back often for other great recipes. And without further ado, on to the recipes.<br />
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<a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2010/05/sofrito-so-i-have-been-craving-mexican.html" target="_blank">Sofrito</a> is such a wonderful flavor base for almost any Mexican or Indian recipe. The combination of peppers, onion, and cilantro makes a wonderful addition to guacamole, dips (<a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2010/05/warm-and-spicy-black-bean-dip-i-have.html" target="_blank">Black Bean Dip</a>, anyone??), and sauces. Plus, it'll rapidly use up those fresh peppers and herbs that are soon to be coming from your garden.<br />
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We are loving ourselves some asparagus this season. I can't believe I didn't even like it as a kid, as I can't get enough of it now. This <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2007/04/asparagus-pesto-i-think-everyone-has.html" target="_blank">asparagus pesto</a> is a great way to use up some of the bounty this spring. Use it as a sauce for pasta, or it's even better as a dip for raw vegetables.</div>
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<a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/cilantro-zucchini-hummus-i-love-to-talk.html" target="_blank">Cilantro Zucchini Hummus</a> anyone?? I had completely forgotten about this recipe until I started digging through my archives looking for recipes to highligh. This is one tasty and fresh recipe - plus, it's raw and vegan, which makes it even healthier. I guarantee you'll want to keep this recipe around this summer!<br />
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And finally, this is a <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2006/08/pickled-vegetables-everybody-likes.html" target="_blank">great pickling recipe</a> that can be adapted to almost any vegetable you have in the house. Plus, it's super easy! None of that tricky canning stuff here! <br />
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Well that's all for today, folks! I'll be back later this week with some recipes that are making good use of our rapidly expanding garden.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-87733443594910428582013-05-24T10:04:00.002-04:002013-05-24T10:05:14.393-04:00Grilled Broccoli RaabSo guess what we did with our broccoli raab? We grilled it! =)<br />
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Yes, I know. This is rapidly becoming a "grill only" blog. But it's the season for it. And seriously, I haven't turned my stove on since the middle of May. I will grill almost anything. <br />
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I have only had broccoli raab a handful of times, mostly on sandwiches. I was pleasantly surprised to taste it on its own - it's broccoli-esque, but also has an almost asparagus taste to it too.<br />
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After I cut the heads off, I put it in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes. Then I simply shook most of the water off, drizzled on some olive oil, salt, pepper, and some Italian seasoning, and then threw it on the grill.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XCz3hwif245nKNJEjvhyphenhyphenBeqC8_niLcsjd1l0EuOsIRLsgFaQxnTgpZkokX4CkNax8BkKxeX8O-CORntzWi_w7vS4E6hS8JGFavTMnDZBJ7ADYmrTG-IIQiGiYufyJiVQJL8V/s1600/food+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XCz3hwif245nKNJEjvhyphenhyphenBeqC8_niLcsjd1l0EuOsIRLsgFaQxnTgpZkokX4CkNax8BkKxeX8O-CORntzWi_w7vS4E6hS8JGFavTMnDZBJ7ADYmrTG-IIQiGiYufyJiVQJL8V/s400/food+029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was quick and easy to grill and came out quite deliciously. The ends got nice and crispy and almost had a <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2008/02/kale-chips-ive-been-seeing-recipes-for.html" target="_blank">Kale Chip</a> flavor to them. (which seriously, if you have yet to try kale chips - please please PLEASE make them now. Like, right now. Then come back and tell me how much you love them).<br />
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And here is the grilled raab in all of its glory.<br />
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Well, that's all for today, folks! Happy Memorial Day weekend!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652046.post-11874051251304080082013-05-22T08:18:00.000-04:002013-05-22T08:18:01.732-04:00Garden Update and Our First HarvestWell the weather has been positively wonderful for the garden lately. It literally seems to sprout up overnight and every morning when I come out with the dog, it's completely different than the night before.<br />
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This is our first year doing the Square Foot Gardening method, and I admit I was a little worried that it wouldn't work out. I had read horror stories on the Internet about how if you don't mix the soil <em>exactly so, </em>the entire garden would be ruined and nothing would grow. We were a little haphazard with our soil mixing, but we figured we'd give it a try and see what happened. Surprisingly, everything has taken off and is looking phenomenal! Next year, I just may have to add another bed somewhere. (I have no idea where though - we've pretty much planted the entire yard except for a small patch of grass)<br />
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We were even able to make our first harvests yesterday! Broccoli Raab was our first vegetable that we harvested, and you'll have to check back tomorrow to see how we used it. But suffice it to say - we were quite pleased with it!<br />
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We also harvested some of our buttercrunch and romaine lettuce last night. Man, there is nothing like lettuce fresh from the garden. It was so tender and flavorful and so far from that organic romaine that we've been getting from Costco. It's going to be hard to go back to that when winter comes around again.<br />
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So far, our garden harvest tally is just a little over a pound! I can't wait to see what the final tally will be by summer's end.<br />
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Our peas have totally taken off. The tomato cage trellis has worked quite well. I was worried that some of the plants in the corners of the boxes wouldn't reach, but they certainly did and the plants are now almost as tall as I am! We planted golden snow peas and the plants have the neatest little purple flowers.<br />
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And just to show you how quickly the peas have grown, I took that picture last night and this morning, I came out and there were about 20 peas that had popped out overnight! Check out how cute they are!<br />
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The rest of the garden is also taking off. I'd show you our broccoli/cauliflower beds, and the turnip/kohlrabi/cabbage beds, but they're pretty boring. How about a picture of one of the flower beds??<br />
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And here's the rest of the large garden area. We finally planted our eggplant, pepper, zucchini, and squash seedlings, as well as more mesclun lettuce mix, but you can see that our kale and other lettuces are doing just fine. And if you squint your eyes, you can see the new herb garden at the top left of the picture.<br />
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Well that's it for today, folks! Be sure to check back tomorrow to find out what we did with our broccoli raab.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0