Archive for the 'Recipes' Category
In my quest to use natural products made as simply as possible, I bought a kit from Scentimental Creations to make my own lip balm. It was so easy that I had 4 pots and 1 tube of lip balm in about 20 minutes. I made 2 types of lip balm:
Chocolate Mint: add 2 drops each peppermint and spearmint essential oils, 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa powder to give it a rich brown shade, and 1/2 tsp of honey to make lips shiny.
Milk Chocolate Mint SPF 25: as above but add 1/2 teaspoon of titanium dioxide before pouring into the pots which will make the balm the colour of milk chocolate and give lips protection in the sun.
The kit contains a moisture oil blend, beeswax, carnauba wax, 5ml essential oil blend (mint medley), 4 containers, and instructions. I LOVE the recipe but if you want to make your own (or want to skip the beeswax) here is a great recipe for Vegan Lip Balm.
November 09 2010 | Projects and Recipes | 8 Comments »
I picked some green grapes this past week from the community plot and since I was also given a bunch of concord grapes, I processed them in my new food mill which was sent to me from cookware.com (thank-you!). The result was a strong flavoured grape syrup I used to make the best ever grape soda.
First I cooked the grapes to loosen their skins.
I then ran them through the food mill which left me with a thick pulp. The mill did a pretty good job of removing the skins, but even with the finest screen on the seeds still got through. I look forward to trying it again to make applesauce.
I strained the pulp through a fine sieve, cooled it down, added some soda and, voila, homemade grape soda. It looks pretty much the same as the blackberry cordial I made a few weeks ago but the flavour is completely different (like comparing grapes and blackberries).
If I ran it through a jelly bag I would have had a clearer liquid, but I didn’t have one and I certainly don’t mind the homemade look of this drink. It tasted so good that it was gone in an instant anyhow. Luckily I still have lots of syrup left over to make more.
September 29 2010 | Growing Food and Harvest and Recipes | 8 Comments »
It’s still summer, technically, and so I’m still going to eat summer salads. This one is a variation of my Festive Black Bean & Quinoa Salad Recipe using freshly picked produce from the garden – I used purple carrots, french filet beans, leeks and snow peas.
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups of quinoa
- 1-1/2 cups canned black beans
- 1/3 cup carrots, finely diced
- 1/3 cup snow peas, finely diced
- 1/3 cup snap beans, finely diced
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, chopped into small cubes
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and rough chopped
- 1/2 cup leeks
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the quinoa according to package directions, taking care to rinse at least five times before cooking to eliminate bitterness. In a separate pan, saute leeks in olive oil until soft and set aside to cool. Meanwhile combine apple cider vinegar and well-rinsed black beans together in the salad bowl you will be using. Let the beans marinate until the quinoa is cooked and cooled, then drain the beans and assemble the salad by combining the beans, quinoa and chopped veggies. Stir to combine and drizzle with a dressing made of lemon juice and a good quality olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Store in the refrigerator and serve as a healthy lunches or a side dish to chicken or pork.
September 05 2010 | Growing Food and Recipes | 8 Comments »
The other day I read about elderberry cordial, which is essentially a non-alcoholic fruit syrup that is delicious when added to sparkling water. Since there are tons of wild blackberries available around the area (as previously mentioned when I made my blackberry jam), I thought “Hey, I bet blackberry cordial would make great soda.”
It does.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups blackberries
- 2 cups sugar
- Water as needed
Directions:
In a large stock pot add berries one layer at a time and crush with a potato masher or whatever you have handy (I used a ladle but all the while I was imagining how much easier it would have been with a potato masher). Add the sugar once all berries are in and mashed, and set on high heat until mixture boils. If it’s not very soupy, then add some water. Reduce heat to low and simmer for a few hours until seeds start to separate from the fruit. Keep adding water if the mixture reduces and add sugar if you like it sweeter. When you have the flavour / consistency you desire, start straining it. Using a fine meshed sieve, strain out the seeds and discard. This will take a bit of time, but the end product is worth it.
Ladle finished cordial into canning jars and store in the fridge.
August 28 2010 | Growing Food and Harvest and Recipes | 10 Comments »
Once again I have pulled out the Original Plum Torte Recipe and added a new fruit. I’ve tried strawberry coconut, blueberry lime, and now caramelized figs.
Follow the original torte recipe but top torte with quartered figs and brown sugar. To make this torte with whole wheat flour, start with 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 regular and some add moisture (milk or caramel syrup will do very well) ensuring that the batter still pours into the pan like cake batter.
This recipe also seemed to call out for Amaretto caramel drizzled over it so I made some of that too.
Amaretto Caramel Syrup:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup Amaretto
Directions:
In a small sauce pan, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Boil on high until it reaches a dark amber colour. Stir frequently and keep an eye on it to prevent burning. When colour is achieved, move pot to a deep stainless steel sink and very carefully but quickly pour in the amaretto. Wear long sleeves and get your arm out of there fast – the caramel will sputter and jump as soon as the liquid is added. Bring the pot back to the stove and whisk over medium heat until it reduces slightly. It’s ready when it feels sticky between your fingers.
Mmmm – plate lickin’ good!
August 26 2010 | Baking and Growing Food and Harvest and Recipes | 10 Comments »
If it’s sunny and you have a bunch of extra herbs, why not make sun tea? Simply snip and wash mint, lemon balm, or chamomile and pack loosely in a jar. Fill with water and leave in the sun for the day. I also use some of the yummy teas I usually sip in the winter like white tea with mint, fennel, ginger, and my all time fav chocolate mint!
August 19 2010 | Growing Food and Photography and Recipes | 4 Comments »
I’ve cleaned off my blueberry bushes at home and like a shark with the taste of blood I needed MORE. Blueberries are best in season (what isn’t?) but they also freeze really well. They thaw a bit mushy, but are still perfect for smoothies, baking, compote or simply on plain yogurt. I found an organic farm in Richmond that had the big, sweet, Blue Crop variety for a mere $1.50/lb. It was near the river where I went blackberry picking and they had a cool old homemade machine they used to pick through the berries (which I found strangely endearing).
While most of the 40 lbs of berries I bought were simply washed and zipped up in freezer bags for the rest of the year, I did find time to convert my old fav, the Plum Torte, into a Blueberry Lime Torte.
To make, follow the recipe instructions for the Plum Torte here and simply swap blueberries for plums and add the juice and zest of one lime.
August 12 2010 | Growing Food and Recipes | 15 Comments »
Strawberry Balsamic & Black Pepper Preserves
(adapted from this recipe from Canadian Living)
Using the remaining 1/3 of the Organic Strawberry Jam batch and add:
- 4 more cups crushed strawberries
- ½ cup cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp coarsely cracked black pepper or to taste
Directions: Bring this mixture to a boil again – a hard boil for 1 minute stirring constantly– and then can just like the strawberry jam. Voila! Strawberry Jam Two Ways.
July 13 2010 | Canning and Harvest and Recipes | 13 Comments »
Given all the yummy strawberries available this year I changed up the Original Plum Torte recipe by using large strawberries in place of the plums, adding a handful of unsweetened coconut to the batter, and topping it with some coconut flakes (which I then toasted under the broiler when the torte was finished). A delicious summer treat!
July 13 2010 | Growing Food and Harvest and Recipes | 3 Comments »
Ever had those pumpkin scones at Starbucks? Here is a recipe for a much healthier version that is so much better with a flaky texture due to the mixing technique. Best hot from the oven – so freeze half of them after baking, and warm in an over at 350°F until just crunchy on the outside and warm on the inside. If you make this recipe I would very much appreciate if you leave me a comment and tell me how it turned out.
Ingredients
- 4 cups organic whole wheat pastry or all purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 cup cold butter
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 4 tablespoons black strap molasses
- 6 tablespoons half-and-half
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cranberries
- 1 cup walnuts
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking pan with parchment and sprinkle it with flour. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the butter and with fingertips, pastry knife, or food processor gently cut the butter in until it is well combined and resembles course crumbs, some lumps are fine. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, cream, pumpkin and molasses. Add to the dry mixture and gently combine. Gently fold in walnuts and cranberries until just mixed.
Shape the dough into 2 equal balls and flatten to 3/4″ thick on the floured parchment or pan. Using a knife slice each circle into 6 wedges and carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them to 1/2″ space around the outer edges. Optional: brush each scone with milk and sprinkle with sugar for a sweet and crunchy top. Bake until golden about 16 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
Makes 12 extra large scones
April 11 2010 | Baking and Recipes | 14 Comments »
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