My Way, No. 16

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— A great story on a local (Tucson, Arizona) mental health hero: http://azjewishpost.com/2015/local-woman-is-champion-for-mental-health-recovery/. Read my post on one of the many facets of her amazing work here: https://lacashionista.wordpress.com/2014/10/06/mental-illness-awareness-week-mental-illness-facts-and-myths-cafe-54-tucson-az/. This past week, I was also touched by several stories featuring the Duchess of Cambridge’s Children’s Mental Health PSA: http://au.ibtimes.com/kate-middleton-releases-new-video-childrens-mental-health-issues-says-stigma-attached-mental-health.

— I made a fabulous whole wheat garlic-rosemary sourdough bread loaf this past weekend, adapted from this recipe: Whole Grain, No Knead Sourdough. In addition to the garlic and rosemary, I used my own starter (vs. the established called for) and added a bit of molasses. I really like the method of tipping your dough onto a floured plate and using flour and parchment in your dutch oven as is discussed in this previously posted recipe: 5-Minute Artisan Bread. So, I incorporated that method into this loaf. I replaced the flour in the dutch oven with cornmeal this time, though. The dutch oven I used is larger than the recipe’s instructions, so my loaf had a greater width. As soon as it was finished, I thought, this is perfect for soup! There are so many soups one can prepare, so I came up with a Chunky Ratatouille Soup. Basically, everything you would put in ratatouille (roasted squash, peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes, oregano, etc., with a little added vinegar and jalapeno) blended up. I was going to make it totally smooth, but after a few pulses, thought chunky would be more interesting. With the garlic-rosemary sourdough alongside, it was hearty and satisfying:

After the Tea & Honey Pancakes I prepared for ‘Pancake Day,’ I did go ahead and make crepes for dinner. I wanted something savory, and curry was calling to me. Whole Wheat-Black Sesame Crepes with Lentil and Vegetable Curry:

I used a combo of whole and heirloom wheat. I love crepes a little more brown with crispy edges when I prepare savory versions. Sometimes, I make them more delicate, as when I prepare them for my mom or for dessert crepes. These were scrumptious reheated in the oven (without any filling) until they crisped up even more. I love the toastiness of the sesame seeds!
More soup: I saw this Hot & Sour Broth with Prawns and immediately had an Asian restaurant craving. I’ve never made it before, but it was so simple and so, SO good. Just as fab as takeout! I didn’t have prawns, so I subbed a bit of seared tofu. If Hot & Sour is one of your fave soups, be sure to check out this easy recipe. I also decided to prepare the Eggplant with Garlic Sauce I raved about in my post on our local establishment, China Szechwan. I merged this recipe with this one (without the pork) and obtained delightful results:

Shrimp with Garlic Sauce was always my fave, so it’s no wonder I really enjoyed an eggplant version.

— Just an update from my previous post on using salt to kill off your weeds. I have now tried both regular/fine and coarse salt. Both work wonderfully, but the coarse takes longer to dissolve. So, you might have white patches for a bit. Either way, it’s so nice to be free from harsh-chemical commercial weed killers. The organic ones are fab, but they are usually a bit pricey. If you think straight salt is not for you, try the homemade solution I mentioned in that post.

— This article gave me the greatest chuckle of the week: Canadian MP Blames Tight Underpants for Exit from Parliament. Well, good for him for telling it like it is, haha! Awesome!

— If you can stay between the lines, you can make this: DIY Dress Design: Clever Color Your Own Clothing | dornob.com.

— I adore this colorful Moroccan-themed retreat: Moroccan-Style Retreat and Rooms | diycolorburst.com.

And, you can purchase these, but I think a grouping of eye-catching, colorful lights would make a great DIY project: Creative Silicone Lamps Chandelier | aliexpress.com.

— Today’s Recipe Theme: Caramel. Why? Just Because. Vietnamese-Style Caramel Pork (could sub another protein if you do not consume pork), Vegan Caramel Sauce, No Knead Caramelized Onion and Olive Focaccia, Chocolate-Covered Caramel Coconut Bars, Roasted Sea Bass with Parsnip Puree and Caramelised Garlic, Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars, and Caramel Apple Cocktail.

Have a great rest of the weekend, and I’ll see you next week!

My Way, No. 9

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— Made any New Year’s resolutions? Gonna get fit, stop smoking, treat your spouse better, cut down on coffee, etc? I must admit I do not make them, but I think it’s a good idea. It’s always a good idea to set goals (IMO), but I tend to set them at random times throughout the year. My mini-goal for this week is to eat plenty of salads (in addition to the juices I posted) to help cleanse from Holiday foods. As salads are one of my fave things to eat, I don’t see it as some sort of post-Holiday self-torture. Here’s a list of 10 Homemade Salad Dressings (nothing exotic or fancy, just everyday dressings).

— So sorry, I found a lot of typos in the last ‘My Way’ post. I usually find something after I post, but there were quite a few. My eyes can get tired after staring at text for so long. It doesn’t help when the writer is also the editor, lol. I’m sure you will be patient with my mistakes in the future (pretty please?). Thanks for understanding.

— Are you a DIY cook? Take the quiz. It’s from a British site, so some of the questions may be geared a little more towards British culture. I am more of a DIY cook if I have decent space to work in, proper equipment, and accessibility to certain foods (and am not pressed/stressed for time). I am good with space, equipment, and food accessibility (for the most part) right now, but I have had limited resources in the past. In those instances, I tend to rely more on pre-packaged or store-bought items. And, sometimes I buy items that are perhaps better homemade, but they are ‘familiar’ or convenient (items I grew up with a lot of the time). I think many people do that…familiarity can bring comfort sometimes.

— Speaking of familiarity, I was telling my mom I find it odd that companies that sell a lot of processed food (many times not very wholesome) also sell medicine. So, it’s like…after you become sick from eating their unhealthy foods, you can purchase their medicine. And, stores that market a lot of processed and junk foods also have pharmacies. Once you become ill from what you’ve eaten, you can get prescriptions to help you feel better. That’s really one-stop shopping!

— I am not the best at gardening, etc., as I grew up with other folks taking care of things like that. My weeds were getting out of control, so someone gave me a recipe for homemade weed killer: 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of salt, 2 cups of vinegar, and 2 TBSP dish soap. I used this for a while, and it works well. I saw a gentleman just sprinkling salt on his weeds, so I just recently tried that. It rained right afterwards, so I thought all my work had gone to pot. It worked beautifully, though! A great alternative to traditional methods.

— My Holidays were filled with lots of cooking, baking, jam making, and pickling. I made the potatoes recipe I posted for Christmas and absolutely loved it. It was super simple. It had a mixture of tomatoes and olives (which are, of course, faves of mine), but I would have never thought to add raisins. Really different and tasty! I also made a few loaves of the bagel/baguettes as gifts and decided at the last minute to make biscotti. As I’ve said, I don’t bake a lot of confections, but biscotti is fairly easy. I usually just make almond biscotti dipped in chocolate, but I added dried cranberries and orange zest this time (sans chocolate). I took a pic on my kitschy vintage Christmas platter (I inherited it from my step-family, lol). Isn’t Santa cute?

And, I let myself have a small portion of those scrumptious Cranberry-Sage Goat Cheese Crostini and Panettone.

I made individual panettone to help with portion control. I baked some in ‘soup cans’ lined with parchment paper. I used homemade candied citrus peel (with citrus from my grandmother’s tree), dark and golden raisins, and dried cranberries. I was a little heavy-handed with the dried fruit. I used a bagel/baguette for the crostini, so it saved a lot of time. I think I will have to make poviticas another time. I’ve had my fill of heavy foods for now, haha.

— I love to work with wood and collect pieces as I find them. A pallet is ideal for a lot projects, and this link gives a few pointers on disassembling one without injuring yourself.

— Someone gave me a pair of jeans that do not fit, so I’m trying to come up with a way to up-cycle them. I found this link, so I thought I would share it. I particularly like the flip flops, iPad cover, and crop top ideas.

— A few recipes: Roasted Cauliflower Street Tacos, Sugar Snap Pea and Carrot Soba Noodles, Vegan Coconut Butter check out her links for soy-based butters from another site as well, Salmon Noodle Soup, Beer Cheddar Waffles, Chinese Duck Tarts w/ Plum Sauce, Pear-Vanilla Upside-Down Cakes.

‘Til next time!

Fermented Foods

Happy Columbus Day! Hopefully, many of you in the States are off for the day. After posting about basic equipment for your kitchen, I was inspired to make a batch of homemade yogurt in my slow cooker. Homemade yogurt is so easy (though I still love to purchase Noosa Honey Yogurt. SO good!). That led me to this post about fermented foods. I started to take an even greater interest in fermentation after reading about how awesome homemade sauerkraut is for us. Please follow that link for some great info on the fabulousness of fermentation.

I tried to find easy instructions for homemade yogurt to post, and I thought this link gave pretty good info: Slow Cooker Yogurt. I have made mine similar to this method. I keep the yogurt base plain and add flavorings later as desired. *This is a little off the topic, but…if you don’t fancy having a bath towel sitting on your kitchen countertop to keep your yogurt warm, you can always make a fabric cover for it. You can do one totally from scratch or take a short cut. My short cut tip is to take a pillowcase or bag with a pattern you like (perhaps matching your kitchen colors) and sew a thick material to the inside. You can also do a layer of insulation in between. Obviously you would measure it to the size of your pot. You can sew elastic around the top of the case/bag for a snugger fit. If you are a stellar sewer, though, you can just do the whole thing from a piece of fabric (and get as creative as you like). I think a quilted pattern would be cute.*

Once I have my yogurt made, I use a lined strainer to drain the liquid from it. 1 gallon of milk gives me about 2 1/2 of these 24 oz. jars.

It’s nice and thick after draining, but you can always add a little Kosher gelatin if you want. There are so many uses for your homemade yogurt, both plain and sweetened. You can use it as you would sour cream, cream cheese, creme fraiche, make frozen yogurt, add it to smoothies, and so much more. I used it to replace mayo here:

–In case you’re interested, that is salmon salad with spicy grain mustard and a carrot, homemade pickled raisins, pickled garlic, apple, red onion, and lentil sprout salad. Don’t laugh, but I got on this kick of putting things on “fried” polenta “buns.” I’m sure it’s just a phase. I used nutritional yeast in that pic (to save a few cals), but my fave is to add sharp cheddar, parm, or other cheeses. I love the toasted sesame seeds on top.–

Fruit & yogurt parfaits are one of my favorite things to make with my yogurt:

I think yogurt making is an especially fun activity for kids to watch, and you can teach them about the process of fermentation. After I have drained the liquid (whey) from my yogurt, I start on my other fermented foods. You don’t always have to use whey, but I try to make use of it. I mentioned the sauerkraut, but I’m making cultured salsas now, as well. They are both super simple.

And, I fermented beets and just a bit of kale for the first time.

The kale was an experiment. I may use it for a different spin to my Polish dogs and kraut…or something…I don’t know. I miss all the Polish food I grew up with in NY! We have a couple Polish restaurants here in Tucson, though. I need to get to them more often.

Here are a few recipes & tips to give you an idea of what to do (and why you’re doing it).

Benefits of Fermented Foods,

Lacto-fermented Salsa,

Cultured Salsa,

Lacto-fermented Sauerkraut

The salt you use is also very important, so this link will give you a little insight into that: Choosing Salt for Fermenting

Have a great rest of the Holiday & Happy Fermenting!