Gaspacho is a dish best served cold

It's too hot out there today. The kids are running around in nothing but diapers and underwear and they still have heat rash.  Adults are irritable, dehydrated and don't feel mush like eating - much less cooking. If I could just drink smoothies all day, that would have been fine by me. It is officially the beginning of what we refer to in our house as gazpacho season. As soon as it gets hot we start a big container of it in the fridge.  We eat it for days on end, adding to it at times. It seems the bowl is never ending, but I swear we do wash it in bewtween batches! We just make a new batch before the bowl has had a chance to dry. This is the perfect dish for a hot day.  No cooking, and it's so refreshing. We had this for dinner just with a couple of ears of grilled corn! Summer perfection!

Ingredients
5-10 Ripe tomatoes, depeding on the size. I used 8 medium sized ones tonight. About 1/3 of your container should be tomatoes
2 large cucumbers
2 green bell peppers
1 stalk celery
1/3 red onion
small handful of cilantro
large handful of parsley
small handful of chives
large pinch ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp vinegar(any kind is good, i like white wine or just plain)
2 tbsp lemon juice
V8 juice to fill container
a few shakes of tobasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste

You'll need a large container with a lid. I use a large mixing bowl, but tupperware or pyrex works great.  Just something you can store and restore it in the fridge with.
Cut all your veggies in large chunks(I cut the onion and celery a bit smaller just because I find the taster stronger on them) and put them in the bowl.  Chop your herbs very small, toss them in.  Add your spices and V8 juice just until it covers the top of the veggies.  Put a few splashes of tobasco.  Taste it to see if you need to add anything. Put it in the fridge to chill.  That's it. SO DELICIOUS! SO EASY!!!

Middle Eastern Spinach Pies

Ok, so I am realizing now that the picture above is not the most flattering picture of spinach pies ever. I just got so excited when they came out of the oven that I forgot to properly "stage" them in a better dish and better light.  It's funny what a little "stage makeup" can do for food pictures...but good picture or not, believe me, these are awesome. We make these a lot(probably not quite as much as my husband and kids would like, but a lot nonetheless.) And we go through them very quickly too. They're a great alternative to a sandwich for lunch or a bagel in the morning. Just throw a few in a ziploc and you're ready to go. They are delicious straight from the oven, cold, or reheated in a toaster oven or microwave.  They freeze really well. And they are really healthy. Loaded with spinach, and you can use whole wheat flour in your dough(I didn't today because we ran out, but I usually do)  There are many different versions and fillings/toppings for these pies, but spinach is my favorite and so today I just made that one. 

SPINACH PIES
For the dough I used the breadmaker but this can definitely be done by hand too.
3 cups white bread flour (or 2 cups white, 1 cup whole wheat)
2 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cup warm water

For the breadmaker, put the ingredients in the machine in the order listed.  If too dry add a little water 1 tsp at a time. If too wet, add flour 1 tsp at a time.  The dough should be sticky and tacky but not sloppy and messy.  Set to dough setting and let the machine work.

By hand, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Once it forms a ball, knead it for 5-10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.   If too wet, add flour 1 tsp at a time. The dough should be sticky and tacky but not sloppy and messy. Coat lighly with olive oil to keep it from drying out.  Cover lightly with plastic wrap and a towel and set it in a warm place to rise for an hour or so until it has doubled in size.

Spinach Filling
Make this while youre dough is rising

3 blocks frozen chopped spinach, you can use fresh but it's usually more expensive and i notice no difference in taste.
1 medium onion(I used 1/4 of a large red onion this time because it's what I had on hand)
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp ground sumac (you can find this in middle eastern stores, or sometimes the bulk section of a health food store)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for sauteeing

Thaw and drain spinach.  Sautee onions until they begin to soften.  Add spinach and cook until it becomes less bright green and most of the moisture as cooked off.  Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic and sumac. Cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

Before(I ran only had 2 blocks ove frozen spinach so I added some fresh too)

After

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Pich off golf ball size balls of dough.  Make balls by stretching the outer skin and bringing it down to the bottom of the ball to create a nice smooth outside(Im gonna post a video of this technique really soon. Noorah took one of me while I was making them, she just kind of forgot to point the camera at me) Have a lightly oiled baking sheet ready. When you finish each ball, roll it on the sheet to coat it in oil so it won't dry out. Do all the dough this way.

Ignore the rolling pin in the picture. I actually flatten them out by hand, using the tips of my fingers, almost like a tiny pizza crust.  Put a heaping tbsp of spinch mixture in the middle of the dough when its flat.  Be careful not to let the spinach touch the edges of the dough, it will lose its stick if you do that.  Pull two side up and pinch them together, leaving the bottom open.

Bring the bottom up and seal, creating a triangle.

Pinch all your seams tightly, lay on your baking sheet seam down. Gently press to shape.  Do all your pies this way.   Lightly brush olive oil over the top of all of the pies. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown. You may have too much spinach mix. It's a great quick addition to an omelet.  Or you may not have enough, this was the case with me.  I finsihed my last few dough balls with feta cheese and tomatoes and just left them flat like a pizza.

 

Indonesian Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I've hit the point every blogger dreads....although I think I've hit it before I've even posted enough to be actually called a blogger. Brainfart. Or maybe more accurately, blog ADD.  I start typing something, I quit. I start making something only to realize halfway through the process, I've forgotten to take pictures of a critical and confusing step....ahhhh! So now, I'm just biting the bullet. Indonesian Chicken Satay, here goes. 

 

INDONESIAN CHICKEN SATAY

The Marinade

3 tbsp soy sauce ( I like to use 1.5 tbsp regular and 1.5 tbsp sweet soy sauce, it has a consistency more like molasses and has a great sweetness to it, but using 3 tbsp regular works really well too)

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp sesame oil or peanut oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped small(or1.5 - 2 tbsp of the pre-minced stuff in a jar)

1 pich black pepper

1 pinch ground cumin

1 tbsp sambal or chili paste if you like it spicy. (Sambal is usually found in the Asian section of grocery stores, it often is a clear plastic jar with a green lid.  It's a chunky red chili paste with GREAT flavor if you like spice, if not DO NOT USE IT!)

6 tbsp water

6 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips, like you would for fajitas, maybe a little thicker.

Mix all ingredients together.  Add the chicken, stir to coat. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 25 minutes. This marinadereally does work in as little as 15 minutes. I've done it on several occasions, although I prefer to let it sit for at least a few hours. 

The Spicy Peanut Sauce (I like this so much I always make too much, I put it on rice or eat it by the fingerful like most people eat Nutella)

1 tbsp vegetable oil for sauteeing

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, peeled minced (or 1 tbsp of the cheaters garlic)

1/2 cup peanut butter ( I use chunky, but I end up using my immersion blender to get it the right consistency...creamy is too smooth for me, chunky is too chunky...i like the middle ground)



1 cup water
2 tbsp sweet soy sauce OR 2 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1-3 tbsp sambal if you want....add 1, see how you like it before deciding to add more...it takes a few seconds for teh kick to hit you)

In a saucepan, sautee the onions and garlic.  Add water, peanut butter, soy sauce(or soy sauce and sugar) Stir while cooking on medium heat, until blended.  Remove from heat, add in lemon juice and sambal.  Taste and see if you want to add anything.  Set aside. 

Thread your chicken onto the skewers and toss your remaining marinade.   These can be done on a regular gas or charcoal grill, or an electric George Foreman type grill.  Make sure it's hot, you want to get a good sear on the chicken.  Grill about 5 minutes per side, until the juice runs clear.   Serve with the peanut sauce and some jasmine rice.  I also like a quick cumber salad with a little vinegar and white sugar over thinly sliced cukes. It's a great complement to the meal.

Short cut to Peanut sauce(I know, I'm usually against short cuts, but with ethnic foods it's often hard to achieve the same results with the ingredients available to us here, so spice packs sauce kits can be great) So- the short cut. If there is an Asian grocery near you or you want to buy online you can search for indonesian peanut dressing, often called bumbu pecel(shown below in the green box).  It comes in a brick, generally you only need 1/4 to 1/2 the brick.  Put it in a bowl with 1/2 cup water and microwave for a few minutes.  Use a fork to blend sauce and water, adding more water until you get the cinsistency you want.  I also add a little sweet soy sauce(shown below), garlic and sambal, and maybe a tsp or two of vegetable oil to smooth it out.  This is a great way to learn what the sauce is supposed to taste like before attempting it on your own.  (I say supposed to taste like, but even if yours isn't authentic who cares as long as you like it!)

This is my FAVORITE way to cook chicken.  It's best right off the grill, so dont prepare it too far in advance. We wait till out guests arrive to start grilling, and then just start handing out meat as it comes off the grill. 

Raw Veggie Pizza with a Crescent Roll Crust, and a little Philosophy

In our family, we practice attachment parenting. And we don't.  It depends on the day, it depends on which child we are talking about, it depends on our mood and the mood of said child.  I wore Noorah, whether in a sling, backpack or frontpack for several hours a day until she was about 18 months old.  I only carry our 11 month old, Zayd, in a pack when we are going on a hike and he really can't be in a stroller or just carried in arms.  Zayd will sleep in his crib most the night, while Noorah, at three and a half,  still climbs into our bed at 3am most nights.  We cloth diaper.  But for travel, or if we have a really hectic week, we use disposables.  The point I am trying to make is that for our family, flexibility is key.  We have things that our important to us, and we try to implement those things as much as possible, but we are human.  We take the easy way out sometimes, and that doesn't make us bad or lazy parents. Heck, I would say it makes us better parents. We know what our limits are, and what we are capable of and we work within it.  Sometimes, everything can't be ideal, but we can try our best.  Soooo....how does this relate to this blog about food? My philosophy on food is similar to that on parenting, I guess. We do the best we can; taking shortcuts sometimes, indulging sometimes, always hoping we are doing enough good to offset these shortcuts and indulgences. If we can make small changes in our daily routine, or our old standby recipes, we can slowly begin to improve the health of our family.  Yes, sometimes we might hit the drivethru for breakfast.  And some days we might let them watch far too much TV just so we can catch a break.  But if we try each day to implement one small positive change, then we shouldn't feel bad about the not so great stuff. 

Case in point.  I'm remaking my mom's raw pizza.  This pizza is a hit at potlucks, its delicious, great for summer and so easy to prepare. The toppings are super healthy, and take no time at all to prepare; just raw sliced veggies and sprouts.  But the "dressing" on the pizza is made with cream cheese, miracle whip, packets of ranch dressing powder, and knorr onion soup packets.  Alot of pre-packaged not healthy crap basically.  The crust is also prepackaged tubes of crescent rolls.  So I picked my battle. I knew I could more easily come up with a healthy dressing, than I could make crescent rolls from scratch (plus most of the recipes I'm finding list shortening - I refuse to use shortening, it grosses me out) So I kept the crust, revised the dressing, and was pretty happy with the results! Compromise and flexibility.

MOM'S RAW VEGGIE PIZZA

Crust
2-3 tubes of crescent rolls

Dressing
1 block Neufchatel cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt or Lebna(yogurt cheese) for thicker, (I will try that next time, I think it would be better)
handful of parsley chopped small
a few sprigs of winter savory chopped small(if you don't have this, double your thyme)
a few sprigs of thyme chopped small
a few mint leaves chopped small
1 clove garlic chopped small, or garlic powder
black pepper to taste

Toppings
Whatever fresh veggies you have on hand.  I used:
Tomatoes
carrot shavings
cucumbers
broccoli
sprouts
red bell pepper
but I usually like to also add:
cauliflower
mushrooms
zucchini

Press your crescent rolls into an ungreased baking pan.  I like a big sheet pan, so I have plenty of leftovers.  Make sure you press all those seams together, overlapping helps.  You might have to get creative about how to piece together the last spaces, that's fine, no one will see it, and if some spots are thicker than others that's fine too.  Bake at 375 until it's golden brown.  Allow to cool before adding dressing or toppings.

While it's baking, I make the dressing.  I used an immersion, or stick blender to get it nice and smooth, but you could use beaters, or even just a fork.  Mix all ingredients together. Put it in the fridge to keep it cold. 

When your crust has cooled, spread the dressing on, making sure to leave a little crust showing all the way aound. Top with your choice of veggies. Which ones, and the amounts you use is up to you. I like it STACKED! I want so many veggies you can't see the dressing anymore, I want veggies falling off everytime I take a bite. But thats just me, and this is such an adaptable recipe.  Try it for your next BBQ. It will be gone in no time, its basically a salad on a crust.

So, I think I was really successful in making a much healthier dressing (i had some left over too, so now we have veggie dip!).  Even though the crust is not that great, you have to pick your battles.  I didn't want to battle with pastry today. And in all honesty, the crescent roll crust is delicious! So who knows, I may try it later and realize that it's just not worth it to make it "healthy". I would love to read any suggestions, or reviews.  Next time, I think we may try it with roasted red pepper hummus as a dressing! That was the suggestion of the husband. 

Polenta, we finally tried polenta.

I've been wanting to try polenta, and I think the thing that was holding me back was that I had no idea what it tasted like, so I had no idea how to conjure up a recipe.  I found lots of interesting ones online, but nothing really struck my fancy.  I bit the bullet and just made something up, and lo and behold, it turned out pretty good and only took about 5-10 minutes of actual work.  I do have to confess, I used a store bought tube of premade polenta.  But since it was my first try, I'm not being too hard on myself.

I actually really liked the polenta and was happily suprised that my husband did too.  Noorah was in a bad mood, so getting her to try any food and like it was out of the question.  I'll try her again later. The polenta was kind of like a cheesy, creamy cake of cornbread that was all crispy around the edges.  It was a little sweet and very filling.

So here's what I did.  After staring blackly at that little tube for some time, I decided to make a "polenta bruschetta" type thing.  Again, I am really bastardising these ethnic foods, but let's just say it's a Bruschetta inspired dish, and leave it at that. 

So I sliced the polenta into 1/2" thick slices.  Then I topped it with a thick slice of tomato, and diced zucchini.  I drizzled them with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt and pepper. I meant to do a little garlic but I forgot. 

My little helper was fantastic!

What a big girl!



Pop these under the broiler, but put your rack in the middle or lower so they dont get charred on the outside.  Leave them in util the edges of the polenta start to darken and crisp up.  Add a bit of mozzerella cheese and put back under until the cheese starts to brown.  That's it!

I also had extra zucchini and tomatoes so I chopped them with an onion, a little salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil, and threw that under the broiler too.

When that came out, I smooshed the tomatoes a bit.  This was our dip to eat with fresh homemade pita.  In all honesty, I liked the dip better than the polettas(that's the name I came up with for my polenta bruschettas).  But for a first try it was good, and I knew what I would do differently to improve it.  I would broil the polenta first so it would crisp up a little, and I would not forget the garlic! And I would use fresh mozzerella instead of generic shredded pizza topping.  



Now to try making the polenta from scratch!!

Quinoa!!!!

 

Our food of the week has been quinoa it seems. I just keep cooking with it! It's a great rice substitute, but unlike rice, it's a COMPLETE PROTIEN, meaning that it supplies all nine essential amino acids. It's one of those foods that I really love, and I feel really good feeding to my family! And my slightly picky husband loves it too! But let's face it, he'll eat enything that has curry on it! (Now I'm just testing him to see if he actuall reads this post..... I guess we'll see)

Anywaaaaaay, back to quinoa. Last night, I made a "sort-of tabbouleh" with it.  I say "sort-of" because, being married to an Arab, I can't really call it tabbouleh if it's not a true tabbouleh. And I have definitely bastardised it. But it is delicious! And one of my husbands favorite dishes.  He asks for it more than he asks for almost anything else I make.

I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but we have decided to cut back our meat consumption dramatically! We eat red meat one night a week, and chicken one night a week. Every other night is vegetarian.  (The kids and I will occasionally eat fish is the hubby is away) Of course there are exceptions like if we eat at a friends house, or potluck, or if we go out to dinner. But for the most part we stick to it. This includes all meals, so no turkey sandwhiches for lunch on a non-meat day.  The trick is doing variety in vegatarian that is not all carbs! Pasta is great, but not every night.  Trying to vary a primarily vegitarian diet so you are still getting all the protien and nutrients as well as flavor and texture combinations is a challenge when you first start.  It is a challenge that is easily conquered with a bit of research- I like google, recipe books with pictures, Pinterest, and the "all recipes" app for my phone. I'm constantly bookmarking, dogearing, and pinning new recipes.  And I'm just as quick to say "Well, I'm not gonna make that again!" If a recipe is too hard, time consuming or has uncommon ingredients that we are unlikely to use in any other recipe, it's not gonna make the cut.  I want to look in my fridge or pantry and be able to say "I can use these ingredients for this, that, and the other!" No single purpsoe ingredients in this house! That's why I love quinoa soooo much! It's a great rice or cous cous substitute.  But it can just as easily be made into a sweet salad with mango chutney and strawberries.  It can be a base in a black bean veggie burger.  It's so healthy, and really easy to cook with, and most important - pretty forgiving!

Tonight we had it as a curried stuffing in red bell peppers, and I made more than enough to do that so I just kinda piled it up around the sides too, along with sauteed eggplant and grey squash (which is basically a lighter colored zucchini).  Like I said, we've been eating it ALOT this week! But it somehow doesn't feel like we've been eating the same thing over and over and over.
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MY BASIC QUINOA RECIP(Kind of like a rice pilaf)

First check if your quinoa needs to be rinsed or not (like you would rinse basmati rice before cooking) This will keep it from becoming bitter

Heat a little olive oil in a sauce pan. Sautee one onion, diced, in the olive oil until it becomes translucent with just a bit of salt(to help draw the moisture out). Add your quiona, so it gets a nice coating of the oilve oil and onion, and gets a slight toasting, but don't let it burn. Add your water. I use 1 part quinoa, to 2 parts water. I like to do it this way, bcause i often forget to measure, and i can eyeball it pretty well this way. I add a tablespoon of Better than Boullion chicken base for flavor, but you could use beef, vegetable, a boullion cube or nothing at all. Bring to a boil, then turn it to low heat and cover, just like rice. Cook till the water is absobed. Check the texture. If it's a bit crunhy, add some water and cook a little more. If its a bit wet, remove the lid and leave on the heat stirring occasionally to allow it to dry out. That's it.
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QUINOA "TABBOULEH"

1 onion
1 cup quinoa
1 tbsp chicken sock base
olive oil for sauteeing and dressing

3 medium size tomatoes
2 cucumbers
2 bunches of parsley
1 red bell pepper
3-4 summer squash(grey, yellow or zucchini or any mix of)
lemon juice
salt
pepper
garlic

Make the quinoa as in the basic recipe.  While it's cooking i cut the squash into small pieces and sautee. You could leave it raw, but I prefer it cooked.  Separate the parley leave from the stems and chop finely. Put it in a large salad or mixing bowl.  Chop your tomatoes, cukes, and bell pepper. Add them to the bowl. Throw in your quinoa and squash.  Add a little salt, pepper and garlic powder or diced garlic. Toss it quickly so all the ingredients are mixed throughout.  Now i like it like this when its hot! But if you want to make it more like a salad, add a few tablespoons of lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar or whatever acid you like) and a drizzling of olive oil and put it in the fridge.  This is great for the next day for lunch too.
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This tabbouleh was a great meal in itself, we just made some crescent rolls on the side.  (Crescent rolls are on my to-do list....I need to learn to make these from scratch instead of buying the tubes that just get rolled out)

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CURRIED QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS

Cook the quinoa like the basic recipe, but throw in a small tomato diced small, 1/4 red green and red peppers, diced small, some cauliflower(i was just trying to get rid of mine).  While it is cooking add: 1 pinch cumin powder
1 pinch turmeric
3 pinches curry
2 pinches cinnamon
1 pinch fennel or anise seed
2 bay leaves
a little black pepper to taste
1 pinch salt  (see this is me really trying to measure....I'm having a rough time with it!)

I used red bell peppers for stuffing, I just like the sweetness of them(and I realized we were out of green)  I cut the tops off and removed the seeds. Then I put them in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes to soften them up a bit.  I also cut an eggplant into thick slices and sauteed it.  I cut three grey squash in half lengthwise and browned them up a bit in the sautee pan.  Then i put the eggplant on one side of a large pan, the squash on the other, and the peppers in the middle.  I piled the peppers high with the curried quinoa, and then piled more on top of the other veggies.  I sprinkled some garlic on top and popped in back in the oven pn 400 for 10 minutes.  When it came out i sprinkled a little fresh parsely and cilantro on top (mainly because i have too much in my garden and in my fridge so I put it in everything but my coffee...)
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Along with our curried quinoa peppers, we had a great salad.  It was our first salad of the year with all the greens coming from our own garden!!!! Obviously being only May, the tomatoes and cukes were not ours, but hey, small victories! And my husband's homemade dressing(recipe to come)

Back In the Saddle Again

I've been away for a bit.  Last Monday, I headed off to attend the birth of my oldest friend, Amelia's, first baby!  What an honor and exciting time that was.  After having two of my own, I can honestly say I had NO idea what it's like to be a spectator in that situation! And I wasn't even in the room for the actual delivery.  I am so proud of Amelia and her husband Casey, and so amazed by their new bundle of joy, Molly. As exciting as it was, it meant that I was spending all that time away from my own kids, which was pretty tough on all of us. Noorah, who used to tell me she wanted 5 more babies, now says she thinks we're done.  I think she doesn't want me heading off to the hopsital for long periods of time without her in order to retrieve said babies. 

We were gone for a three day period, and when we came home we were greeted by my very happy husband and lots of new seedlings sprouting up in the garden.  Before we left for the birth, I had caged our lettuce. Apparently I was running a buffet for the neighborhood rabbits.  No more.  The cages were working and the lettuce was finally starting to show some progress.  I am so excited to have an edible garden this year.  I love plants, all plants, but I get a heck of alot more satisfaction from a tomato or zucchini than a geranium.  Every stage is so exciting for me, especially since we started all the plants from seeds in our window and now they are thriving happily in our garden. I love watching the seedlings emerger, then transplanting them into the garden, then when they start to bear fruit! I love that my children help with it too. It's just one step in our effort to become ever more self-sufficient.  My mom is now a full fledged bee-keeper,  capturing and keeping wild swarms of bees! I'm hoping to be able to get some great honey from her this year.  Maybe if I promise enough marmalade, she'll oblige...hint hint if you're reading mom!

In the meantime, I have a list of projects just waiting to be tried and blogged! And a list of projects I already did, with great success, but forgot to take pictures of (face palm) so now I need to do again, so that I have something to show for it! SO here are some things you have to look forward to.
homemade pasta (ravioli and fettuccini)
my husbands salad dressing (which I finally got him to make a large quantity of rather than just enough for one salad)
30 minute mozzerella!!!!!! I can't wait to eat this warm with some fresh tomatoes and basil
dishwasher detergent
indonesian chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce
naan bread
pasta with beschamel sauce(not super "healthy" but definitely real ingredients!

Let's hope I remember to take pictures this time around!

Yogurt, Greek Yogurt, and Yogurt Cheese (Lebna)

It only makes sense that this is the recipe I would post after the granola.  They do kind of go together!  I eat this every day, as do both my kids. It has done wonders for my digestion.  I have always loved yogurt, but flavored yogurt is often too sweet and there are so many unnecessary ingredients(even in plain sometimes), including colorings, pectin, and often times gelatin.  I try to keep it simple, especially with my kids- I like to know what they are consuming.  And we go through a LOT of yogurt.  My mom had told me she'd been making it at home, so I googled some recipes, and figured I'd give it a shot.  I picked the simplest recipe I found, and followed it to a tee.  There were so many steps, and precautions and nit-picky little details that I was kind of annoyed while making it, but the result was delicious! The next time I did it, I omitted a step or two, the next time another one, and so on.  Pretty soon I had it down to just the simplest possible technique, just the bare essentials, leaving all the fuss and muss behind, and the yogurt didn't seem to suffer for it at all. 

Like the granola, it is hard to mess up this recipe.  You can use any kind of dairy milk that you like: raw, organinc, pasturized, utra-pasturized, goat, 2%, whole, skim! I generally use whatever is in the fridge when my yogurt begins to run low.  Sometimes it's a mix of a few jugs.  There are two pieces of "specialty" equipment you will need for this: a thermometer and a heating pad.  I use a meat thermometer, it was the cheapest and most durable looking one in the store, and I can vouch that it will stand being dropped in hot milk, unlike the digital ones.  Or on the floor, unlike glass candy thermometers.  Yes, I have been through a few.

Your Ingredients:
Milk
Yogurt(Just a tablespoon or two of existing yogurt)

Pour your milk into a large pot (a double boiler can be used, but I find it creates a mess as water boils over the edges, and it takes WAY to long to heat up, also its one extra dish) However much milk you use, will be how much yogurt you get.  One gallon of milk=one gallon of yogurt. You can make your batch as large or as small as you want. Put your thermometer on the pan.  Heat the milk on medium heat, stirring occasionally until it reaches 170 degrees.  It will have a frothy foam on top, almost like a latte.

Take the milk off the heat and allow to cool to 110 degrees.  This can take from half an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the temperature of the room.  If you're in a hurry you can put it in a cold water bath in the sink, but be careful and watch the thermomer closely because it drops quickly and you need to keep it below 120, but above 90 or it won't work.  I usually just leave it on the stovetop(not on the heat) and set my oven timer for 20 minutes so I remember to come back and check it. 

When it reaches 110 degrees, stir in a tablespoon or two of existing yogurt. Plain works best, but I've used flavored, fruit on the bottom and greek in a pinch.  My finished product had a slight fruity taste when I did this, but I didnt mind.  

Put the lid on the pot.  Set on the heating pad(set to low) and wrap the pot with a towel. 

Set your oven timer for 7 hours.  Leaving it longer won't hurt it at all, it will just be thicker and tangier.  Taking it off a little early is fine, as long as its had time to change.  It will just be thinner. Try not to move or jostle it too much, just forget it for those 7 or so hours.

 

After 7 hours, your yogurt should look like this.  There should be an obvious difference between the yogurt and the whey.  

Now you can divide it into containers and let it cool in the fridge.  I just ladle it into mason jars with the help of a jar filler/funnel. 

That's it for yogurt. 

Now for Greek yogurt/ Lebna



First, make your yogurt.  You can do this with your yogurt straight off the heating pad, yogurt thats been sitting in the fridge for some time(2 hours, 2 weeks its all fine) or even store bought yogurt.

Put some cheesecloth over a container and secure with a rubber band.  Push the cheesecloth down so you have a "well".

Put yogurt in the cheesecloth and leave it in the fridge overnight to strain. 

In the morning you just scoop the yogurt out of the cheesecloth.  There will be less of it than you started with, and all the whey will be in the bottom of the container.  If it's too thick, add some whey back in and stir well.  If it's too thin, try using less cheesecloth and straining again.  Greek yogurt has a consistency like sour cream, lebna is closer to cream cheese, but a bit thinner.  You can toss the whey, but I like to save it to add to smothies or pancake batter.  It's a great source of minerals and digestive protiens.  You can also drink it straight.  A word of caution though, this is not for the faint hearted.  I really enjoy it, but in the words of my mother after taking a sip at my suggestion "UGH....(insert worst face you can think of) Why would you make me do that????" And my mom eats and drinks some pretty un-appealing stuff. Love you mom! 

The lebna is a traditional middle eastern thing.  Its really good on a plate, sprinkled with some extra virgin olive oil, some diced tomatoes and fresh thyme or winter savory.  Then dip your pita in it, or spread it on some bread. We eat it alot for breakfast or a quick afternoon snack.  Lebna is best made with fattier milk, it starts to feel a bit thin on the tongue if you use skim.  2% is good, whole is better.   If you want a real treat, throw in a splach of cream.

Yogurt is such a great way to regulate digestion, and for women a great way to preven yeast infections.  It's a delicious and easy way to get your calcium, and it's a great way to extend the life of milk in the fridge.  If you have some that you notice expires tomorrow and you know you can't drink it all- make yougurt! It will last for a week or two more in the fridge! Making it at home saves so much money, and it really only takes about a half an hour of actual work. 

Don't like plain yogurt? Try these great toppings!

Vanilla powder

HONEY(even more added benefits from this!)

fresh fruit

fruit preseves like jam or peaches

maple syrup

granola

Try marinating chicken or meat with yogurt and your favorite spices! It makes it so juicy!

We use yogurt in place of mayo in potato salads-healthier and safer on a hot day potluck! No spoiled eggs. 

Yogurt makes a great sour cream substitute, try it on tacos or baked potatoes.  So much less fat!

Use it in creamy soups instead of heavy cream, for a tangier yet still creamy texture.  A healthy option.

Got other uses for yogurt, let me know!





Mmmmm granola!

I was amazed to look at the ingredients in granola in the ceral aisle.  Sugar in so many forms! High fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, cane sugar.  It was so high in sugar and really low in actual substance.  For what I was paying ($4-$6 a box) I was essentially getting oatmeal with sugar on it, in clumps, with a random raisin here or there.  If I bought granola in bulk at our local health food store, I was cutting out all the crud, but paying $6-$8 a pound for it.  I wasn't willing to sacrifice on price or quality, so I began making it at home. A big way to cut the cost on this recipe is to buy the spices from the bulk bins of the health food shop. BUYING SPICES FROM THE BAKING AISLE OF THE GROCERY STORE IS A RIP OFF! And they are often old and lacking in taste.  I get great, potent ginger for a fraction of the price, with much less packaging too.  I just take it home and throw it in a small mason jar.  I use mason jars like most people use tupperware. 

The best thing about granola is you can suit it to your nutritional desires and tastes. Or maybe the best thing is that it is soooo much cheaper than store bought. Or maybe the best thing is that there is no high fructose corn syrup or processed sugars.  Or how it makes the house smell when you're baking it. Or that kids of pretty much any age (if they can stand, they can help) can be a part of the process. Or that it is really hard to screw up. Or that you don't need a recipe.

There are so many great things about making granola at home. I'm going to share my go-to recipe with you, but I add or subtract based on what we happen to have(or not) in our cupboard.  Sometimes I forget ingredients, sometimes I accidentally put in way too much of something, I've even burned a batch pretty badly, and it always has tasted pretty good. I eat it every day, topped with homemade yogurt and bananas or whatever berries happen to be on sale.  I feel great about giving this to my daughter, knowing exactly what I'm serving her, and the benefits of each ingredient that go in.  I also feel good teaching her that healthy food doesn't have to taste bad.  I find cinnamon and ginger go a long way in helping to reduce the amount of sweetners needed.  She loves participating in making it, and loves to remind me when I forgot an ingredient!  My mom originally showed me how to make granola, and this is the recipe(I use that term very loosely in this case) that I have ended up at after experimenting alot. We compare notes often, and adjust our recipes and techniques based on what we are continually learning.

 I make a HUGE batch when I do this, you can easily halve, or quarter this recipe, but I figure it keeps so well in the cupboard and I go through it so quickly, I might as well minimize my efforts.  

THE INGREDIENTS

(Group 1)

10 cups old fashioned oatmeal, rolled oats works fine too

2 cups almonds

2 cups walnuts, broken up a bit by hand

2 cups coconut

3 heaping tbsp ground ginger

3 heaping tbsp ground cinnamon

2 heaping tbsp ground nutmeg

3/4 heaping tbsp ground cloves

1/2 cup wheat germ

(Group 2)

3/4 cup cocnut oil

1 cup honey,(or molasses, agave, maple syrup, or any combination of these or other sweeteners)

(Group 3)

2-3 cups dried fruit (I use a mixture of dates and apricots, but any dried fruit or berries is good - my mom swears by dried sugared ginger root)

2 cups raisins (I use 1 cup regular, 1 cup golden raisins)

1/2 cup brown flax seed

1/2 cup golden flax seed

I like to cut down on dishes so I mix my ingredients in the pan I plan on using to cook them in.  I use a big potluck size lasagna tray.  First and most important step.....SPRAY YOUR DISH WITH NONSTICK COOKING SPRAY! Otherwise you will be begging your granola to come off the pan.  Mix group one ingredients in pan until they are evenly distributed.  Then mix in your oil and then  sweetener.  If you like a wetter, clumpier, chewier granola, add more oil and more sweetener. I prefer mine crunchier, and not clumped.  Mix well. 

I bake it in a 350 degree oven, stirring every 7-8 minutes for about 25-35 minutes.  When its starts to get a toasty browned look, its done. (You can't really undercook it).  My mom prefers to cook it on 175 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes for an hour. 

While it is baking, I chop my fruits. You can often buy them chopped already, but they are usually rolled in sugar when you do this. So I buy them whole, sometimes with pits. Its cheaper and healthier....my two favorite things! 

When it comes out of the oven, stir in Group 3.   Let it cool and put it in a storage container.  I used to use large ziploc bags, but now I keep it in an old fashioned cookie jar on the countertop with a measuring scoop right in it.  Its easier for me to portion it out, and I don't have to get it out of a cabinet for breakfast each morning.  Plus I think its pretty.

Benefits of these ingredients

Oatmeal- great source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which means its a cancer fighting food, as well as lowers your LDL cholosterol without lowering your HDL.  It slows down your digestion of starches, lowering risk of sugar spikes after eating(helpful to diabetics of gastric bypass patients).  It lowers the risk of heart disease.  Great source of vitamin E, selenium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium and protien.



Flax Seeds - full of Omega 3 essential fatty acids- these are shown to have heart healthy qualities.  Linguans which have plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities high in flaxseed. Great source of fiber! (They really keep you regular) Don't bake flax seed to retain all the benefits!

Honey - Natural enery booster and immune system booster. Full of antioxidants.

Almonds -  good for a healthy heart. lowers LDL cholesterol.  Full of magnesium, manganese, and vitamin E

Walnuts- FULL of omega 3-fatty acids! and manganese.  Very important for heart health and circulatory system.

Wheat Germ- great source of fiber, antioxidants, and phytosterols.  Good for heart health, lowering cholesterol and bowel function.

Ginger -  helps relieve gas, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant

Coconut oil - shown to help brain function, and increased immunity



 Other ingredients to try

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds

Pecans

Dried Cranberries

Dried Cherries

Figs

Prunes

Dried Mango

Dried Apple

Dried Pineapple

Dried Pear

Be creative!



Easy Peasy Pita Bread

This is easily my favorite thing to make at home, and definitely the one I get the most compliments on.  It is a HUGE money saver, and it definitely beats store bought in taste, and quality! It is best serverd right out of the oven, but it freezes really well, especially if you use a toaster or toaster oven to reheat it a bit.  Best news, its EASY. 

The dough can be made in the breadmaker or by hand.

2 Cups Bread Flour (or all purpose works well too)

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/4 teaspoon rapid rise or bread machine yeast

2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 to 1 1/2 cup warm water, depending. (You'll see what I mean as you get into the directions)

If you're doing it in the bread machine,

throw in all the dry ingredients, then 1 cup of warm  water.  Turn it on, add a bit more water bit by bit until it forms a nice ball.  If it gets to sticky, add flour 1 tsp at a time.  When your dough ball is looking good, close it and let it do its thing. Make sure its set on dough, not loaf.....otherwise you'll end up with a cooked loaf (done that before...more than once)

If you're doing it by hand,

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add 1 cup of wam water, mix with a butter knife, spoon or your hand until it starts to form a ball. I usually add a bit more water so it easily comes together, but then its too wet so I end up adding a bit more flour to dry it.  You want it to be a bit drier than your regular loaf dough.  It shouldn't really need a floured coutertop for kneading, it shouldn't stick. Doesn't mean you can't flour your counter top, just means you don't have to.  Knead it for 5-10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.  Rub a bit of olive oil on the outisde to keep it from drying out, cover loosely with plastic wrap and a towel and leave to rise in a warm spot for an hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat your oven now....There are two ways to do this, depending on your oven. 

We have a convection oven now (convection is terrible for pitas!) So I use the broil option, I put my rack in the middle and use an old cookie sheet. It broils at about 500 degrees. With this setting, It takes about 3 minutes per side(your oven may be different).  Just keep an eye on it, and when they start to brown, flip them.  The cookie sheet might also have to be rotated in the middle of broiling if one loaf is getting to darr, or no color at all. 

Or, as with my old oven, which was a regular electric oven with the heating element on the bottom, you set it to 500 degrees and put the rack at its lowest setting. With this setting you will bake 4 minutes on one side, flip, then 2 minutes on the other side. (If you make a huge batch it may be down to 3 and 1 by end.  (I set my timer for this method for each and every batch)

TO FORM THE PITAS

Pinch off balls about the size of kiwis or just a bit bigger.   Roll them gently so they form nice round balls. Do all the balls at once, this way they have a chance to rise a bit again as you're doing them.  I put them in rows, so I can begin rollind in the same order I pinched off.  This way I work from the beginning to end. 

Roll the balls into discs, until they are about 1/4 inch thick.  Don't overwork the dough, a few turns with the rolling pin should do it.  The dough will puff a bit again as it rests while you are rolling the other, do not go back and re-roll. You will knock all the puff out of it, and end up with very tough, flat, and not hollow pitas. 

I use an old cookie sheet, it will get pretty black if you're constantly cooking it at 500 degrees.  Put your pitas on the sheet, make sure you have room to flip them.  Choose your method from above, and use that time guideline.  Watch them puff right up! This seems silly to say, but be very VERY careful when flipping, removing or adding new pitas.  The oven is EXTREMELY HOT! Put the finsihed loaves in a paper bag or a large bowl covered with a towel. This holds the steam in a bit and allows them to soften up.  Enjoy them while they're still warm! If you want to freeze them, allow them to cool completely and store in a ziploc bag in the freezer.  

Good luck and I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Fun in the HOT Sun

Today was a great day! The coupler for the bike trailer arrived, and Noorah and I wasted no time running out to the shed and setting it right up! We couldn't wait for Zayd to wake up from his nap so we could take it for a spin! In hindsight, we may have been stomping around the house a little more loudly than normal.....But he finally woke up, and within minutes both kids were helmeted and strapped in!

Too bad it was 85 degrees out with the sun beating down, we only made it for about 20 minutes before we were too hot.  Oh well, the goal for tomorrow is to use the bike for grocery shopping.  The nearest grocery store is 1.7 miles away. I just have to head out early enough to beat the heat. I figured this is a great way for me to get excercisd, be outdoors, and take the kids with me. I really don't like to work out simply for the sake of working out.  Give me yard work, a long hike, building something, tearing something down. I want to accomplish something, or get somewhere in the process. I know, I know, a healthy body is an accomplishment...but I want to see immediate results.  A freshly cut lawn or a rebuilt deck.  So my bike will be my transportation as much as possible this summer, as long as I can find side roads so I'm not on the busy streets, and  I don't have to show up looking or smelling too nice. 

When we came home, it was straight to the backyard to fill up the kiddie pool. This is also a great way to water my garden. The first thing Noorah wants to do when you put water in the pool is dump it out, one bucket at a time....SO I just pointed out the areas that needed to be dumped on. 

Alot of our baby plants got killed off in a surprise frost when we were out of town.  It wasn't supposed to be anywhere near freezing while we were gone, but of course I re-checked the weather when we checked into our hotel and 29 degrees over night...sheesh.  A lot of the beans, sweet peas, and corn were too far gone, but luckily we still had time to replant more seeds.  So now, we are excitedly checking the garden again to find fresh new seedlings every morning! They are loving this heat, and the heavy rains too!