Crock-pot Apple Butter

This past week I went apple picking and got a little too excited with the festivities and went a little overboard. Needless to say 28lbs of apples later I basically had to approach it on a colonial scale. So, I wound up doing around 7 different ways and this is probably one of the best, without a doubt. I’d even go as far as to say that this is one of the best recipes I’ve released thus far!

I chose to use the crock-pot method as a way to start exploring the possibilities with these great little guys. I know a lot of you out there probably have one lying around and I want to encourage you to get full use out of any equipment you have. This particular recipe takes about 12 hours to complete, so feel free to just pile in some ingredients and let it go while you continue with your day.

As far as uses are concerned, I would say that you should treat this as a sauce substitute (add a little cold butter to the warm apple mixture, maybe a little rosemary – call it a day), or simply as a sweetener in recipes (think adding to yogurt, toast, bagel, vinaigrette's, marinades, stuffing, or soup).

Keep in mind that apples have a very high moisture content and add a lot of moisture to any recipe when baking. It also contains a lot of pectin (natural plant-based thickener) in the core, so by adding that to a jelly/jam you can sweeten and thicken in the same step.

Crock-pot apple butter

Ingredients:

6-8 apples quartered with the seeds cut/scooped out (enough to reach the indent on the pot)

2 tsp cinnamon (ground)

½ tsp nutmeg

1 clove

1 Tablespoon(ish) pickled ginger (I like a good zip of ginger)

1/8 cup honey (a floral variety like rosemary/lavender works well here)

1 shot whiskey (I suggest the Irish variety)

1 cup water

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into crock pot and cover for about 6-8 hours. 
2. Once it reaches the point where it looks like the picture below, leave uncovered and cook for another 4 hours, stirring occasionally. 
3. 
4. Once it reaches this color, puree it up in a blender. It should be about this dark when compared to regular apple sauce. 
5. 
6. Enjoy! 

Rotini and Kale Salad

Given my last post on pasta, I thought it only appropriate to make some kind of pasta dish. 

However, I ate it! 

So, I did what any good cook does and utilized a ton of leftover product; and made this delicious concoction I am dubbing “Pasta Salad with Kale.” I try and sneak in and experiment with dark leafy greens in dishes as much as possible.

This application makes a marinade/dressing for the pasta and really works well with kale to provide a great texture differential. You also get some of the bitterness from the kale which contrasts nicely with the other ingredients.

On a side note, I realize there were other ingredients in my pasta salad that aren't displayed in this picture and will make a better effort next time I do a pasta salad or something to have them in the picture. It really doesn't help when you do a photo shoot and you’re hungry…

Anyway, this is a great way to utilize pasta from the previous day and kind of clean out the fridge of random stuff. Please don’t feel limited to this ingredient list at all. Pasta salads are super unique in that they can be an entire grab-and-go meal depending on what you put in it. So, for instance you could increase the veggies and add a protein. I tend to view my unlisted ingredients as flavor builders and not as main stars of the dish – in this case it’s pasta and kale.

It is also super easy to just use (lemon vin) or any style dressing you have chilling out in the fridge. 

I used rotini pasta , but the goal is really to have something that is medium in size and in a shape that is more willing to include the other ingredients with it. Curled pasta works best here, don’t use string-style pastas or delicate pastas such as those wheel shaped ones (they break apart and don’t look good).

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta

1 tomato diced small

1 red pepper diced small

1 suntan pepper diced small

1 medium red onion (julienne)

2 cups (packed) red leaf or Tuscan kale (ripped or cut small)

¼ cup olive oil

Zest and juice 1 lemon

Sprig fresh dill chopped

Sprig fresh basil sliced thin

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1.       Cook your pasta (learn the proper way here) or pull it out of the fridge

2.       While you’re cooking up your pasta, cut your veggies and remaining ingredients set aside.

3.       Combine ingredients with cooled pasta in mixing bowl or in original pot pasta was cooked in

4.       Season to taste

5.       Let sit/cool for at least an hour and a half before service

6.       Serve cold or room temp

Blueberry Lemonade Soda

Blueberries are in full swing! I decided to a little easy and light this time around since the last few posts have been kind of complex. Sometimes these delicious berries get a little "sad" looking and not appealing at all, but they are still quite tasty. So here's a recipe you can utilize to get rid of all those wilted looking blueberries.

Besides cooking all the time, I do like venturing into beverages once in a while; and I'd like to talk today about making your own soda. Most soda's you get in the store contain a little less than 10 tsp of sugar per 12oz - that's a lot! I'm not a soda drinker by any measure; I used to be though. I've discovered if you go heavier on the flavor and use fresh ingredients, you don't have to have as much sugar. This recipe cuts sugar in half and uses raw sugar instead of the manufactured/processed white sugar.

As I was able to reflect removing soda from my life, I realized that I drink a lot of seltzer water and club soda because, lets face it - who doesn't like the fizzy bubbles? So, I've been experimenting with different carbonated beverages, or sodas if you will.

The idea of soda is pretty simple to adapt and simplify. It;s really just some kind of simple syrup (I find citrus to be the best thing here) and club soda. However, I like using the flavored seltzer waters for a little extra something-something.

You can add more lemons into this recipe for an extra zip, or even substitute with any single citrus or combination of citrus.

Anyway


Simple Syrup (Lemon)

Ingredients: 

2 cups sugar (raw preferably)
2 cups water
6 lemons (zest and juice)

Directions: 

1. Zest and juice lemons and put into a pot
2. Add sugar and water
3. Bring to a simmer then let cool
4. Store in refrigeration 

Cool. Now we are ready to make some awesome soda! The method that I'm using here is called muddling but, if you don't like a garnish in your drink. Add a pint of blueberries to the previous recipe to make it a cohesive syrup. Simmer for 15 minutes, and strain.



Blueberry Lemonade Soda

Ingredients: 

3 Tablespoons simple syrup (lemon)
15 Blueberries
12 oz Club soda
16 oz glass
1/2" of crushed ice in the bottom of the glass
Ice cubes

Directions:

1. Put berries and crushed ice in bottom of glass
2. If you have a muddler, I suggest you use the back end of a wooden spoon (as shown below)
   
3. Crush the berries until there are no more whole berries left. 
4. Add ice and fill to the top
5. Add simple syrup
6. Top off with club soda 

Canned beans vs soaking your own

Ok, let’s talk about beans/legumes of the dried variety! I love vegan/vegetarian food; so beans are a pretty big part of my diet, and I used to be all about canned beans because they were convenient and easy to grab and make something. However, once I began to read labels (which I hope you all do), I realized that this was probably not the best option. Not only are these items exposed to cleaning chemicals, but the “juice” they sit in is full of Calcium Chloride (a preservative), salt, sugar, and other additives for flavor (think along the lines of baked beans). And most recipes call that you should rinse the beans before use anyway…

So, I did a little research into this chemical compound, and I found that it is the salt of Calcium and Chloride and it is pretty prevalent in the manufacturing industry. It’s used as a flavor enhancer, electrolyte agent (this is included in some bottled waters), as well as a preservative. Sounds legit, right?

Well, here’s something to consider: Calcium Chloride was a component of the lethal chemical weapon “Agent Orange” (which was internationally outlawed after the Vietnam War). Is this really safe? It’s FDA approved and what not and the levels are contained within a “safe” parameter. Cool. But who makes this substance?

According to my research, the largest manufacturer of this chemical compound is Dow Chemical Company (over 30% market share). Turns out, this company is a best friend with Monsanto and collaborate to manufacture and design a large quantity of Genetically Modified Organisms. Is this some kind of looped trade that puts the consumer in the middle of their financial jaws? At half of the global consumption rate, North America is the leading buyer of products containing this formula, followed by China and Canada http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/14/marketpublishers-idUSnBw145568a+100+BSW20130614  This is a major issue is it not? This is why I choose to soak my own beans and then cook them.

With this as the background, let’s explore the best way to avoid these chemicals. Beans and legumes that are dried tend to expand 150%  so I’ve found that its best to place amount of beans you want (I usually do up the whole bag) in a container and fill with water so that the liquid is twice the volume of the beans. This will probably be about three inches or so.

I would advise to leave the beans soaking overnight, or for at least eight hours. The more they soak, the easier they are to cook. I should also mention that if you are hydrating things, do it in separate containers. A lot of times the color from red or black beans will bleed into the other ones. This results in a mush of color and provides no contrast whatsoever.

After the beans have soaked appropriately, they are ready to be cooked. Strain the remaining liquid from the soaking process. Fill a pot with the beans and enough water to cover the beans by an inch or so of water (you can also use chicken or vegetable stock at this stage for added flavor).

I would plan on cooking them for about  two to four hours depending on the size of your batch. I really like this method as opposed to the canned product because you can really control how much texture you want your product to have. I find that the canned ones are a bit too mushy for my liking.

When I cook the beans, I am able to stop the cooking process when they have reached the desired texture. Play around with cooking times to find the consistency that you like. I prefer them to be soft enough to break apart in your mouth, but firm enough that they won’t turn into hummus after being stirred only a handful of times.

Once the beans are cooked, strain the remaining liquid out and allow the beans to cool. Do not leave the liquid in the pot and continue to cook, or transfer it to another cooking vessel. This will only result in the transfer of the color of the liquid to the next application. So, if you’re cooking black beans and intend on making chili, transferring your cooked beans to another pot with the rest of the ingredients waiting to go will only result in a dark, mucky stew. You are now ready to use chemically free beans in your next adventure!  

Check out these recipes to utilize the beans!

http://altfoodtalk.blogspot.com/2013/05/gluten-free-mexican-veggie-burgers.html

http://altfoodtalk.blogspot.com/2013/04/spring-bean-stew-with-shaved-asparagus.htmlhttp://altfoodtalk.blogspot.com/2013/04/spinach-hummus.html

Pickled Red Onion

To tie in with my last post, as well as “Meatless Monday,” I am going to show you my staple red onion pickling recipe and procedure. I’ve talked about pickling before when we did pickled spring veg. These little suckers are packed full of flavor and provide a fabulous color to any dish. One thing I like to do is DIY tacos or flatbreads, and these are great toppers for those. Also try omelets, sandwiches, salads, and even sautés. Just think of it as additional acidity in the dish and the possibilities are endless.

One more note before I supply the recipe: you can leave the aromatics in, or strain them out. It’s really up to you. If you leave the spices in, they tend to provide a stronger flavor. However, if you strain them out, the liquid will only be as potent as it is at that point in time. I’d suggest doing a batch of each and figuring out what you like and basing your progression on that. I chose to leave the spices in this time.

Pickled Red Onions

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons pickling spice

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons sugar

3 cups white distilled vinegar

1/2 cup red wine

5 small or 3 regular red onions (julienne) 

Directions:

1. Toast pickling spice in hot pot
2. Add vinegar, red wine, salt, and sugar to pot. Bring to a boil
3. Place julienne red onion into container. You want it to be large enough to let the liquid cover it completely.
4. Once liquid is boiling, pour over onions. Let cool for half an hour. Cover and refrigerate.
5. Let sit for 12 hours minimum; 24 is ideal! 

Stawberry Lemonade Greek Yogurt Parfait

It occurred to me the other day that I’ve not posted anything sweet really on this blog so far. So, I figured we’re pretty much ready for something sweet right? Cool. Let’s do that!

Its strawberry season and I simply can’t get enough of those juicy berries! During the last heat-wave, I decide that no matter what the date was - summer was here for the week. When life throws you lemons, make lemonade; I added strawberries!

Here’s a dish I’m calling a “Strawberry-Lemonade Greek Yogurt Parfait” It’s really easy to take these processes and apply them to what you have in the fridge and then utilize them as the picture portrays. However, I’ve been known to just snack down on any of these items here. This will be two recipes combined in one presentation, enjoy!

Lemonade Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:

1lb Plain Greek yogurt

1 zest and juice lemon

2 drops lemon extract (vanilla works too)

5 leaves mint (thinly sliced)

**Extra points: add 2 tsp lemon curd**

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in bowl and incorporate with a whisk or rubber spatula
2. Transfer to container and let sit in the fridge for 3 hours

Want to make it extra thick?

Here’s how:

1. Using a cheese cloth, line a tall container that has a lid and will fit in your fridge. Make sure there is at least 2” of cloth hanging over the container.
2. Fill container with mixture, making sure to keep the cloth outside of the container.
3. Gently place lid on container.
4. Pinch the cloth on opposite corners, creating two diagonals and pull slowly. You want to suspend the mixture in the cloth inside the container.
5. Press the lid down to hold the cloth in place.
6. Tie off each diagonal cloth.
7. Let rest overnight.

Lemon Marinated Strawberries

Ingredients:

1 Quart local strawberries (quartered with green tops taken off)

1 Zest and juice of lemon

1 Tablespoon local honey (strawberry if you can find it)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in container and combine until incorporated.
2. Let sit in the fridge for 3 hours and marinate.

Time to build the dessert!

Ingredients:

¾ Cup Lemon Marinated Strawberries

¾ Cup Lemonade Greek Yogurt

¾ Cup Granola (your favorite variety)

1 Mint sprig top (for garnish)

Sprinkle of cinnamon

**Extra Greek points if you add ½ cup figs to granola**

Directions:

1. Use a bowl, wine glass, parfait glass, or clear plastic pimp cup for this application.
2. Place ¼ cup granola on bottom of vessel. Tap slightly on the bottom to settle it out.
3. On top of granola, pour ¼ cup Lemonade Greek Yogurt. Tap slightly on bottom to settle it evenly as possible.
4. Scoop ¼ cup Lemon Marinated Strawberries on top of yogurt. Tap slightly on bottle to settle it out.  
5. Repeat last 3 steps until desired amount is filled.
6. Top with sprinkled cinnamon and top of mint sprig.

Spinach Hummus

Spring has Sprung!

It’s that time kids! Springtime has graced us with her presence. The opportunity is miniscule my friends! Take advantage whilst you can. I’ve combined a few ingredients to help you explore the “springiness” that is upon us.  I have created a fusion of flavors that I hope will satisfy your curiosity and aggravate further innovation. Below is my recipe for a standard hummus. The extension is to make it “Spinach Hummus” But, the substitute can be alleviated with any leafy green. 

Recipe:

2 cups fresh spinach (packed)

1 clove garlic (sliced or minced)

1 teaspoon Sea Salt 

2 Grinds Fresh Pepper

Sauté Ingredients. Add ¼ C. Water and allow wilting.

Add to blender with 1Lb. 13 oz (#5can) chick peas or garbanzo beans

Add following ingredients and blend until smooth:

1.       3/4c olive oil

2.       Juice ½ lemon
3.       1 tablespoon sea salt

4.       6 grinds of pepper

Chive Oil:

½ c. Chives (blanched)

½ c. Olive oil

Blend ingredients until smooth in blender. 

Olive Salad:

1 Tablespoon Chive Oil

6 Olives

¼ Lemon Zest

2 Grinds black pepper

3 sprigs Parsley (sliced)  

Procedure: 

Combine in bowl. Incorporate. 

Pita:

Toast in saute pan until wam/brown