Quinoa for Breakfast

See the original post at A Life Enchanted

Breakfast truly can be considered the most important meal of the day. It sets the tone. It helps stabilize blood sugar, provides fuel to function properly and helps prevent cravings and over eating later in the day. When our bodies begin to use up it’s energy supplies cravings are triggered. This leads to over eating and poor food choices. Having  a healthy breakfast within 2 hours of waking is essential for proper body function.

We all know my love of quinoa. It’s a complete protein. It offers a multitude of nutrients. It’s holds up and it’s diverse. You can mix in any combination of vegetables, herbs and spices and have something delicious that will stay in the fridge for days and still be enjoyable.

But get this…. you can even mix in fruit and enjoy it for breakfast!
Check it out.

I had pear and walnuts with extra honey

Quinoa Breakfast

2c water
1c quinoa
1/2 rice, soy or almond milk
1/4 – 1/2c fresh fruit
1/8 – 1/4c nuts or seeds
cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla beans for seasoning – 1 or a combination of your favorites
honey, agave or maple syrup for sweetening

Bring the water to a boil. Add quinoa, reduce to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Top each serving with fruit, seeds and nuts, sweeten and add milk.

Simple.

This makes a batch large enough to last for days in the fridge. Keep the cooked quinoa separate and add fruit, nuts and milk to each serving.

Eat your breakfast!

Live Well!
~S

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Make Vanilla Extract

View the original post at A Life Enchanted

Many of you already know how to make your own vanilla extract, but those of you who don’t, you will be pleasantly surprised at just how simple it is.

I say that quite a bit don’t I? “It’s so easy.” It’s really simple.”

But so much in life has been done by big machines and bigger business that many have never had the chance to realize just how easy or how much healthier, and even cheaper, they are to do yourself.

And Vanilla Extract is no different.

You need:

Vanilla beans
Hard alcohol (vodka, rum, brandy, whiskey, ect.)

I used 2 vanilla beans,  8 ounces of vodka and a recycled bottle.

Cut the vanilla beans in about 1 inch pieces. Place them in the bottle.

Fill the jar with alcohol. Cover and wait.

It takes about 3 months to get a good vanilla extract, but it’s usable within days. It really depends on the beans.

But get this…
You can keep topping off the bottle with more alcohol and continue to have plenty of vanilla extract! This will work for at least 3-4 more full bottles. As the beans soften they continue to release vanilla-ey goodness.

What you brewing in your kitchen?

Live Well!
~S 

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What to Choose Next?

I am fairly well versed in wild New England Edibles. I love to spend time, basket slung over my arm wandering the woods, fields and riverbanks of New Hampshire foraging for greens and berries and the like.

There is something inspiring, comforting and even exciting about making a meal from things found. Last year, while the Mister and Macala were fishing, I gathered berries. I made a lovely black raspberry crostada. Many Summer nights we enjoyed salads of wild greens found in my travels.

My thirty six years, though, have not been sufficient to leave me anywhere near an expert in such things.  Perhaps under other circumstances. Perhaps were we in a time when survival meant being so. Perhaps, no, certainly, then I would be schooled by a ten year old in the matter of wild edibles.

But I press on! I am determined to learn more.

So what will be next? 

I’m spending some time with my favorite guide this lovely, warm Spring afternoon in the Shire to pick.

My feeling, pick something and learn as much as you can about it before moving on to anything else.

I wonder what it will be this Spring? 

I’ll let you know as soon as I choose.

Live Well!
~S

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Herbed Butter and Getting to Know Garlic

I was so excited at the number of phone calls, text messages, emails and comments I received yesterday over butter making. So many of you actually went out and bought cream just to try it. I love it!! 

Now that you have all of that glorious butter, let’s make it even better. By adding herbs, spices and zests you can create crazy, beautiful flavors.

Because it’s still very early in the season and my herb garden is hardly ready for much harvesting, but I do want to make this one with what I have grown myself, the first batch is going to be Garlic Chive Butter!

Look at these healthy chives anxious to get this season started

Take your butter out of the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter for a time to soften

While we are waiting can we just talk a bit about garlic?
It recently came to my attention  that the proper use of garlic is not common knowledge. And here I thought everyone knew the many ways of garlic.

The way you cut, or don’t cut, garlic affects the flavor. 

Leaving a clove whole will give you the least amount of garlic flavor in your dish. It’s all about surface area baby. The finer you chop, the more flavor you get. So if you smash and drop you will get a stronger flavor than whole. If you mince your flavor will be even stronger.

Then there is creaming the garlic.
This is my favorite. And here I thought all this time everyone knew how to cream garlic. What you have been missing! Creamed garlic gets buttery and melty. And you don’t even have to roast it… which we will talk about soon. I am seeing a For the Love of Garlic post in our future. Let’s cream some garlic….

Smash two (or more, but this recipe only needs two) cloves of garlic

Let’s not talk about the attention my cutting boards need, k?

Mince well

Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. The salt has many jobs. It flavors the garlic so be sure you haven’t over salted this batch of butter. It acts as an abrasive to help break down the salt. And it helps pulls the juices from the garlic to help further break it down.

Now take the edge of your knife at an angle – about 20% – and drag it over the garlic repeatedly. You will need to scrape it back into a pile and repeat over and over. Be good to your knife! This isn’t a massacre.

Now you have creamy, buttery garlicy goodness!
This is great for dressings and marinades, spreads, tonics and just getting more garlic flavor into your dishes.

Let’s get back to the butter….

Add your garlic to the bowl. Now mince some chives.

You want them very fine

Add them in

And mix

You have Garlic Chive Butter. This is the ideal topping for those buttermilk biscuits you made with the leftover buttermilk.

There are so many options for herbed butter. Here are some of my favorites…

• Lemon Black Pepper – lemon zest and black pepper. Perfect on chicken fresh off the grill.
• Chipolte Lime – chipolte or chili spice and lime zest. Great for grilled corn.
• Parmesan – just grate in some parm. This is perfect for corn too. Or focaccia, baguette, oat biscuits….
• Pepper Thyme – fresh (always best) or dried thyme and lots of black pepper
• Lemon Terragon – lemon zest and minced fresh tarragon.
• Cilantro Chili – fresh cilantro and chili powder. Great for corn on the cob!
• Sweet Cinnamon – honey, cinnamon and vanilla bean make this a great topping for french toast!
• Gremolata – garlic, parsley and lemon zest. A dollop added to the top of a sizzling steak as it hits the plate. Yum.

Get creative – Think cardamom, ginger, grapefruit zest, basil, sun dried tomato, lavender!

What’s your favorite Herbed Butter combination?

Live Well!
~S 

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Butter Up, Baby!

Did you know that eating fat doesn’t make you fat? It’s true!

That stuff they call margarine isn’t real food either. It’s gross, it’s harmful and you should stop using it! But you don’t really use that junk, right?

Real food is always better. Always. But even the ones you think are real and wholesome aren’t always as they seem. Take butter for instance. Did you know that butter, yes, the real kind, usually has added preservatives? It’s sad but true. But there’s hope.

Making butter is ridiculously easy! 

Cream, a mason jar and twenty minutes easy.

Fill a mason jar half way with heavy cream.

Put the cover on.

Now shake the day lights out of it!

Shake, shake, shake…

Shake, shake, shake….

The cream will get thick. Keep shaking.

When you think something MUST have gone wrong, keep shaking.

You are almost there….

And then all of sudden, it will happen! The thick cream will separate – buttermilk and butter.

Strain the buttermilk….

But save it for something else like soaking chicken or making biscuits.

Now you have to rinse the rest of the buttermilk out of the butter.

Add some salt if you like and roll into a log and refrigerate.

You have butter!

AND buttermilk!

This butter doesn’t have preservative like that other stuff, as I mentioned, so you want to use this within two weeks.

It isn’t always cheaper to make your own butter but it can be. It depends on the cost of cream and the amount of fat. Some cows produce a fattier milk. If you are lucky enough to know someone with goats (or even better, have your own!) butter can be made with goats cream too. It will be a bit different, but just as good.

I got about 3/4 of a  pound of butter from one quart of milk. Plus about 2 cups of buttermilk. That is a savings over purchasing butter and buttermilk separately. And I don’t get the preservatives.

There is an easier way….

You can use a blender, mixer, hand mixer or food processor and cut the time in half.

There can be mistakes…

The second time I made butter, or attempted to make butter, it was a disaster. We took turns shaking the jar, the mister, babes and I. How fun! We sat and watched TV, chatted and made butter together. But in our fun we somehow missed the separation phase and just kept shaking. We ended up with what looked like chunky whipped cream. Which is just what I turned it into, with a bit of honey (or sweetener of choice) and a bit more whipping.

What happened? We shook the buttermilk back into the butter. Yes, it can happen. I had no idea. I also don’t know if the process can be altered again. I had had enough shaking for the night and never cared for the experiment to be finished.

Now let’s get a wee bit technical…

I’m not saying go ahead and smother everything you eat in butter. I’m not Paula Dean. Although I do love her to pieces. I’m just saying butter isn’t as scary and horrible as we tend to think. And it’s way better for you than something bugs won’t even touch! (Some still claim this isn’t true,but I tried it once and found the margarine free of ants and butter loaded with them. I did not, however, leave it long enough to find out if they moved over once the butter was gone.)

• A 1994 Harvard Medical Study showed that eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53%
• More recent studies have shown a strong link between consuming trans fat and earlier death
• Butter does not contain trans fat – margarine does (minus a few newer varieties)
• Both butter and margarine have the same amount of calories
• Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods
• Butter has many nutritional benefits – margarine does not, unless they are added
• Butter tastes better!

That old urban legend about margarine being one molecule away from plastic is truly false, however, real food is always best. Something made with “ingredients” like margaric acid, used in making margarine, is not.

If you aren’t into making your own butter at least opt for the real thing. Ditch that tub of tasteless, dyed stuff.

Tomorrow we will talk about flavoring your butter!

Live Well!
~S 

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Let’s Make Yogurt

Making your own yogurt is super easy!

I mean – boil milk, whisk in cultures, cover and wait – easy.

Yes, even you can do it.

Here’s what you need –

1 quart whole milk
1 Tablespoon plain yogurt (yes, just your favorite store bought yogurt)

In a pan heat the milk slowly to just before a boil. You can get technical with this and use a thermometer, but  it really isn’t necessary. You just have to heat it until the top is shiny and tiny bubbles just start to form around the outside. But if you are worried you won’t do it right, or just like to use your fancy little thermometer than heat it to 180-185 degrees. You shouldn’t get a skin, but if you do just take it off.

Now for the hard part. Take it off the heat and wait for it to cool. You have to wait until the milk is warm enough to activate the cultures but not kill them. About 140 degrees. You can put it in another bowl to help the process along. Or even put it in a water bath.

When the milk is cool whisk in the yogurt. Now, don’t get all over zealous with the yogurt. Adding extra will not make it more yogurty (there I go again) or speed the process any. It will have adverse effects. Trust me. One tablespoon per quart of milk. But you don’t have to be super precise either. I told you, this is easy.

Next, spoon it into jars. I like to use a mixture of mason jars in various sizes. Leaving a space at the top to add fruit and such. We’ll talk more about that in a bit.

Now, place the jars in a pan and wrap with a towel.

Put this pan in a warm safe place like the oven. I’m not showing you this part. It’s scary and embarrassing in there. Must. Clean. Oven.

Be sure to NOT turn the oven on. NOT. 

Now you wait. Again. It takes about 12-15 hours for the process to complete. Give or take. Again, it isn’t precise. Just be sure to leave them alone. The more you disturb them the less likely they are to do as they are told.

Once they have set to a solid consistency they are finished. Ready to eat! Or flavor. Keep in mind, this is plain, unaltered yogurt. It will be tart. You can sweeten it with some honey or agave.

You can strain the yogurt in cheese cloth to make it thicker. Essentially, the difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt is the straining process. Greek yogurt is strained to make it creamier. Here in the U.S. you are buying “Greek Style” yogurt not actual Greek yogurt – meaning strained and thicker. True Greek yogurt uses sheep’s or goat’s milk. If you like yogurt thicker you can strain the end product through a piece of cheese cloth or even let the milk stay at that just before boiling point a little longer to evaporate the milk some.

You can make your next batch using some of this one and never have to buy yogurt again!

Now let’s talk about flavor!

You can add anything you like. Fruits, nuts and grains.

Here are some of my favorites – 

• Pomegranate
• Banana and walnut
• Apple and cinnamon with honey and pecans
• Frozen mixed berries
• Orange
• Cherries and macadamia nuts
• Granola and dried cranberries
• Chocolate chunk granola

Mmmm. I could keep going.

You can also use it for dips and marinades – 

• Mixed with lots of fresh or dried herbs like chives, parsley, tarragon and garlic for veggie dip
• Mixed with lime, ginger, cilantro and gram marsala for chicken
• Mixed with coarse brown mustard, garlic, pepper and parsley for pork

The options are endless, as they usually are when in the kitchen. And yogurt is filled with healthy probiotics that are essential for healthy digestion and optimum immune response. They are killed off when heated, but used as a marinade yogurt helps keep meat moist and adds tremendous flavor.

Now let’s break it down….

I made 64 ounces of yogurt for $1.50

The cheapest I have found Chobani is $1.00 for 6 ounces. That equals $10.00 for 60 ounces!

4 ounces less – $8.50 more

Are you ready to try making your own yogurt?

Live Well!
~S 

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Guest Blogger Heather and Some Tater Tots

I am very excited to announce todays guest blogger!

Heather and I met in elementary school. We were in the same grade. The summer going into seventh grade my house burned down. We lost everything. That morning Heather had her father bring her over. She showed up with bags full of clothes. We became fast friends that morning. I love her dearly. She has an amazingly beautiful heart.  She really is such a lovely person. She is spiritual, she loves to sing, enjoys music, makes the people around her laugh and feel good and is here to share a great recipe with us!

If you can’t get enough of sweet potato or quinoa like me, you are going to be thrilled when you see this. In her quest to eat better she found this recipe and wanted to share with us.

“I decided to try the recipe from shine.yahoo.com because I love sweet potatoes and tater tots; plus, I am trying to eat more healthy. The recipe was easy to follow and they were super yummy. I thought you’d enjoy them as well since you are so enamored with sweet potatoes and quinoa!

 Xoxoxo
Heather”

Sweet Potato Quinoa Tater Tots

INGREDIENTS
1 cup quinoa flakes
1/4 cup golden flax meal
Non-stick cooking spray
1/3 cup finely chopped small onion (from 1/2 small onion)
4 sweet potatoes or russet potatoes, peeled
1 Tbsp. kosher or sea salt, plus more
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (I LOVE garlic so I also added 1 tsp. dehydrated garlic)
Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine quinoa flakes and flax meal in a bowl; set aside. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray generously with nonstick spray. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Transfer onion to a bowl; set aside. Wipe out and reserve skillet.

Using the small holes of a box grater, finely grate potatoes to make 4 cups. Transfer to a colander and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. salt. Massage salt into potatoes and squeeze out the excess liquid. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl; add egg and mix well. Add reserved onion, cayenne, paprika, and garlic powder; season lightly with salt and pepper. The mixture should resemble a potato pancake mix but be on the dry side. Using your hands, form potato mixture into 1″ balls.

Roll potato balls in quinoa flake mixture. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray lightly with nonstick spray. Working in batches, cook balls, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer tots to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

I’m making them this weekend! Let me know what you think.

Live Well!
~S

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Quinoa Tabouleh

Yes, I’m on a quinoa kick. I had all this left over from making the Quinoa and Sweet Potato Cakes. So, what to do? Make Tabouleh!

For all you traditionalists out there, I know, I know. Tabouleh is made with Bulgar. And I am a traditionalist with some subjects too. Just not this one.

2 cups cooked quinoa
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 lime juiced and zested
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

* I had a lime that needed using. 1/4 had been cut off for something else so I chose it for this recipe out of necessity. Use what you’ve got!

In a small bowl combine lime and zest, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk and set aside.

Combine all other ingredients. Toss and top with dressing. Allow to sit so flavors meld for some time.

You could really do anything you like with this. Add other veggies and seasonings. Cook the quinoa in vegetable or chicken stock to add flavor. Having something like this in the refrigerator is a great way to help encourage healthy eating. It makes a perfect snack. You know we should be eating 5-6 small meals a day, right? That isn’t always easy. We don’t have time to chop and cook mid morning or afternoon. Make things like this ahead of time and be READY. This offers protein and nutrients in the quinoa, healthy fats in the oil, health benefits in the parsley and veggies. Pair it with lean meat or hard boiled eggs and cucumber slices or other fresh veggies and you have a great lunch or dinner.

Oh, and it’s super frugal!

Let me know what you think!

Live Well!
~S

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Quinoa and Sweet Potato Cakes

I am in love with sweet potato. And quinoa. Both are some of the most wholesome foods you can nourish your body with.

I really like making “cakes” of all kinds. Brown rice cakes, amaranth and Farro cakes. I started years ago with potato pancakes, but have evolved tremendously. You can mix any vegetables you have on hand with a grain, some seasoning, veggies and eggs and you have a delightful little patty of goodness.

These are incredible!

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for frying
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grated sweet potato
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
2 eggs
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped chives

*I like adding cilantro to these also, but if you aren’t a lover of cilantro than skip it for sure.

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add quinoa and half the sea salt. Stir, reduce heat to medium low and cover. Allow to cook 15-20 minutes, until the water has absorbed. You can add great flavor by using chicken or vegetable stock instead of water. Allow to cool.

Saute onions and garlic in oil 3-4 minutes. Add sweet potato, salt, pepper, coriander and rosemary. Cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Whisk eggs, bread crumbs and remainder of seasonings in a bowl. Add the quinoa and sweet potato and mix well.

Shape about 1/4c of mixture into cakes. Fry the cakes in olive oil over medium heat until browned. Be sure to not over crowd the pan.

These are great served with a spicy aioli or herbed sour cream. Excellent set on a bed of baby greens. Don’t be afraid to play with the seasoning. Add some curry or cumin. Some fresh basil, a little lemon zest.

They are also a very frugal dinner option. Quinoa has the highest amount of protein of any “grain” (it’s actually a seed). If you are looking for a healthy meat free option, this is it!

Eat your sweet potatoes! And quinoa!

Live Well!
~S

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Adobo Pork Sirloin

For all my vegetarian friends look away now, while you can……

Pork is a far leaner meat than many might expect. Pigs are now raised to be so. However, it can be tricky to cook well. It dries out pretty quickly if you aren’t careful. The loin is the leanest cut, and because of that, the one that dries out the quickest. I am NO expert on meat here, but I do know that the flavor is in the fat. And that not all pigs are created… or raised, equally. Generally, the “supermarket” pork is leaner than those home-grown or specialty grown. Now, you don’t get fat from eating fat… believe it or not! However, many people are still looking for lean cuts of meat. And that is what you have with pork sirloin steaks.

Here is my favorite way to cook them. It adds lots of flavor, which might be missing along with the fat. And the marinade helps keep it moist. It also helps keep you from over cooking it, since all the chili goodness will just burn up if you do.

1 lime, juiced and zested
1/2t oregano
1T ground cumin
1T minced garlic (mince with a pinch of salt to “melt”)
1-2T chilis in adobo sauce
4-6 pork sirloin steaks, these are boneless

*Tip – put left over chilis in adobo in a snack sized zipper bag, roll/press into a log shape, then freeze. When you need some, simply peel the bag back and slice off desired amount. The rest, first bag and all, can go back in a second bag if you must tear the first to get it out. This makes it VERY easy to slice and use just the right amount.

Mix all the ingredients in a large pan, being sure to mash up the chilis to form the marinade. Toss the pork in the sauce and marinate for 1 hour or more in the refrigerator. Grill on a lightly oiled grill for 4-5 minutes per side if they are thick. A bit less if they are thinner. Of course.

Pork is generally cooked to an internal temp of 160 degrees (National Pork Board recommendation – yes, there is a National Pork Board), but is actually safe medium rare. I don’t eat it medium rare. Ever. But, many gourmet chefs prefer to cook pork to an internal temp of 145-150 degrees.

**This is spicy! Hence the “chili”. If you want to soften it up a bit cut the chili in adobo to 1T or less and add 1-2T of olive oil.

I like serving this with Cilantro Rice and my Easy Fresh Salsa with homemade flax tortilla chips. (I will post links soon)

What is your favorite Pork Sirloin recipe?

Live Well!
~S

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