Everything Seedy Topping

This is something I have been sprinkling on just about everything since my mother-in-law introduced it to me over a month ago.  It really couldn't be simpler to make or more versatile to use.  I especially love it on sliced avocado, green salads and creamy soups.  Sometimes I even eat it out of hand!  It is quite addictive.  I offer one caveat…..it is pretty garlicky, so kissers beware!

Everything Seedy Topping

3 parts sesame seeds

3 parts poppy seeds

2 parts dried minced garlic

2 parts dried minced onion

sea salt to taste

other add-ins: dried lemon peel, fennel seeds, black pepper…..the possibilities are endless, really!

Turmeric Paste.

There are so many ways to use your turmeric paste. Too many to list. Remember that it has already been gently heated so you can use it cold straight out of the refrigerator in things that won't be heated. It's also nice to have it for hot meals.

On my blog I have the recipe for the turmeric paste, turmeric elixir, and golden milk.

Peppery Chicken Curry from my all time favorite indian cookbook (savoring the spice coast of india)

Ground Masala

• 2 t coriander
• 2 t cumin
• 1¼ t black peppercorns

¾ t sea salt

¾ t turmeric paste

1½ pounds boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes

4 T coconut oil

2 cups of thinly sliced onions

2 t minced garlic

2 t minced ginger

1 t minced serrano or Thai chili (I leave the seeds, but it's up to you)

¾ cup coconut milk

1 T Ghee

½ halved or broken cashews

½ a lemon

1. Mix together and grind with a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle the masala. Add ¼ teaspoon of the salt and the turmeric paste. Rub the chicken pieces with this mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour ( you can skip the refrigeration step, but the extra flavor is worth the wait ).
2. In a deep sauté pan ( I use a cast iron ) heat oil over med-high heat and sauté onions until they are medium brown. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilli and fry for 1 minute. Put in the chicken and remaining salt stirring frequently until the chicken loses it's pink. Stir in ¼ cup of water and ¼ coconut milk, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or so over low heat.
3. Heat the ghee, sauté the cashews until golden brown. Set aside.
4. When the chicken is cooked add the remaining coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Stir in the juice from the lemon half. Check seasoning. Garnish with cashews and serve over rice or veggies.

Backyard Lemons - Quick Preserved with Sea Salt

I've been looking forward to seeing all of you, and the pantry party is such an added bonus!  It always gives a boost to my daily cooking.  All those tasty little sauces, jams, spice mixes, and treats you provide add just the right zip and zing to anything we already have on the regular menu.  Those little extras take time and planning, so I rarely have anything like them on hand, but your gifts are typically the star of the show, adding so much interest.

A week or so ago, in my ongoing "lack of imagination for what to cook" doldrum, I was wondering what I could possibly conjure for the pantry party that would be up to par for such a lovely, talented group.  I'm not really ever hoping to impress, just send a little kitchen love to some of my favorite people!  My lingering question to the kitchen elves was answered one morning at school drop-off when my friend flagged me down in the parking lot, opened my car door, and put an overflowing crate of her lemons in my back seat.  I love lemons.  I hate expensive, wax-laden, store bought lemons.  A crate full of basically organic, juicy, seedless, thin-pithed, wax-free, backyard lemons...that's a whole lotta' kitchen love right there without doing anything to them (except providing a thorough scrub!)

  ​I've never preserved lemons before, but I wanted a quick method so you do not have to wait long to enjoy them.  I saw a Mark Bittman recipe in which he slices them, but he used sugar. Instead, I sliced, sea salted, covered them in their juice, and vacuum packed for 24 hours, then put them in your jars to sit out.  They should be ready to use.  Leave them on the counter if you want them softer/mellower as this variety is a bit bitter.  Store in the fridge to keep for a while.

Uses

They are very very very very very salty!  Use them to season foods and hold the salt otherwise.  You can rinse them if you want.

- ​Classic - Moroccan Chicken Tagine - http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/adventureswithruth/2009/10/chicken-tagine-with-lemons-olives-and-coriander 
- Make a lemon pesto - http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-socca-flatbread-with-spring-herbs-and-greens-recipes-from-the-kitchn-187301

- Mmmm...this risotto...http://food52.com/recipes/3673-preserved-lemon-and-spring-vegetable-risotto-with-grilled-pernod-shrimp

- Any of these recipes - citrus chicken and lemon basil semifreddo...http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/04/the-secret-ingredient-preserved-lemons-moroccan-recipes.html

- Cook with your grains or lentils to scent them with lemon.
 - Chop and add to -
Salad or salad dressing...try them in a Caesar dressing or an herbed vinaigrette...which would also be good over some crispy roasted potatoes
Grain salads...such as Quinoa Tabbouleh
Lentil and bean salads...try chickpeas or fava beans with onion, parsley, tomato
Veggies...grilled, steamed, or quick sauteed...maybe asparagus, broccoli, or green beans
Pasta....simple with olive oil, roasted garlic and maybe some grilled shrimp or chicken
Poached or grilled fish....wild salmon with capers
Dips and spreads...guacamole, hummus, salsas

Fingers crossed they came out right for you!

xoxo, Paula

Lemon Ginger Dressing + More...

Lemon-Ginger dressing 
1/4 C olive oil
1 lemon, juice
1 tsp lemon zest or 1 inch slice lemon skin

1 carrot or bell pepper (optional)
2 Tb nama shoyu (or tamari, shoyu)

1 inch piece of ginger
1 garlic clove
1/2 - 3/4 C raw cashews (depending on how thick you'd like your dressing)
1/2 C water
1 Tb Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp salt

-Blend all ingredients together in a high powered blender such as a Vitamix. Salt more to preference.  Delicious on everything - grains, salads, any veggie, etc.  Wonderful on a kale salad with mango, red bell, and grated carrot.

Pickled Radishes: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pickled-Radishes-366455

Strawberry Fruit Leathers: I follow this recipe but keep the strawberry seeds.  I did 5 pints of berries + 2 TB honey and that was plenty sweet for my kids: http://comfybelly.com/2012/05/berry-fruit-roll-ups/#.UWXzIqKopLf

Simple Lemon Rosemary Salt

Nothing fancy over here. 
Really simple: zest lemons, sprigs of rosemary and salt. I used Hawaiian salt and coarse sea salt. Bottles from World Market.

Romesco Sauce

Piquillo peppers are traditionally used in Romesco Sauce, but I didn't have access to any. If you have some on hand use them instead of the roasted red peppers I used. The sauce will be slightly sweeter.

I like to use Romesco on almost anything. It's kind of like a Spanish pesto. When I make it I will go crazy trying it on stuff. I would say it's best on roasted potatoes or cauliflower, scrambled eggs, fish, chicken, pork and sandwiches. If you discover a new way to use it share it on here. I would love to know.

Romesco Sauce from Salad for Dinner (great cookbook)

1 (12-ounce) jar piquillo peppers or roasted red bell peppers, drained
1/2 cup almonds, toasted
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

Toast the almonds dry in a heavy pan until dark brown and fragrant .

Purée all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Season with additional salt to taste. Will keep for a week or slightly longer in the refrigerator.

GAPs Ketchup and a really good Probiotic Apple Relish

So I don't have photos of the recipe I brought and the other recipe I wanted to bring - but I will share both here.  For those that attended the first Pantry Party, I promise the ketchup will turn out better than the one you took home if you follow the proportions below!

Word to the wise: I quadrupled the Ketchup recipe to accomodate our numbers and, despite cooking it ALL DAY, it didn't reduce in time and I ended up with 20+ jars of something more akin to cocktail sauce.

Oh well. Everyone was a good sport.

GAPs Ketchup (from Internal Bliss - the GAPs cookbook)

In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 C White Vinegar with 5 whole Cloves, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 Cinnamon Stick, 1/4 tsp whole Allspice, and 1/4 tsp Celery Seeds.  Simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot combine 2 lbs Tomatoes (roughly chopped or crushed by hand), 1 Onion chopped, 1 1/2 tsp Salt and 2 cloves Garlic minced.  Cook on medium-low heat until onions are very soft ~ 40 min.

Strain spices out of the vinegar and add the infused vinegar to the tomatoes and stir.  Puree in a blender or with a stick blender right in the pot.

Heat the sauce to reduce to desired thickness (about 2 hrs).

Add 1/4 C Honey to sweeten - taste and adjust vinegar, salt and honey as desired.

Apple Chutney (from Healthhomehappy.com)
*I really wanted to bring this but ran out of time.  It's so yummy and good for your gut!

Apples, peeled and chopped; to fill a quart jar (6 or so)
Juice of 2 lemons
2 Tbl honey
1/2 cup raisins*
2 inches hot chili pepper, fresh and de-seeded (I use a jalapeno)
1 tsp fennel seeds

Mix all ingredients, place in large jar.  Pack gently to start to release the juices.  If needed, add filtered water to cover the fruit.  Cover and leave at room temperature for 2 days, transferring to the fridge for up to 2 months.

Discard the chili pepper after 2 days, before it goes into the fridge.

*I dehydrate my excess CSA grapes and can attest that homemade raisins are in a class by themselves.  I HATED the little red box my mother always packed in my school lunches.  I didn't even think I liked raisins until I started making them myself in an effort to not let a glut of produce go to waste.  Anyway, I don't dehydrate all the juice out of them, just until they're still plump, and then I store them in the fridge.  Super-sweet and juicy.

Palm Springs Style Granola

PALM SPRINGS STYLE GRANOLA
Makes about 9 cups

Ingredients:
6 cups rolled oats 
2 cups raw sliced or slivered almonds
1 cup dried unsweetened coconut
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
Generous dash of sea salt
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup of coconut oil
1 cup dates, chopped and pitted

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts and seeds, coconut, cinnamon, and salt.


On the stove in a small pot combine the sweetener and oil and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and add to the oat mixture.


Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and put in oven. Bake for 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring frequently. Be careful the edges do not burn.


Remove from oven and add the dates. Cool. Store in a sealed container.