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Pear Salad
Jan 24th, 2016 by Alice

From Jessica Branom-Zwick

  • 3 lbs spinach (or your preferred quantity)
  • 2 cups dried cranberries
  • 1 small Walla Walla or other onion
  • 2 tasty pears or 4 satsumas (your choice)

Directions:

Chop, toss, and serve.

Panzanella (Bread Salad)
Jan 24th, 2016 by Alice

From Jenn Purnell

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cups French bread, cut in cubes
  • 2 tomatoes, cut in cubes
  • 1 cucumber, seeds removed, cut in cubes
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • ½ red onion sliced
  • 3 large handfuls fresh basil, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons capers

Vinaigrette:

  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • ½ cup good olive oil
  • a tiny pinch of salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Sauté bread with oil until browned, mix up the vinaigrette.
Mix everything together. Let sit 30 minutes before serving.

Onigiri
Jan 24th, 2016 by Alice

From Alice

  • 2 ¼ cups white, short-grain, Japanese rice (or medium-grain California rice).
  • rice wine vinegar
  • ¼ lb sashimi-grade salmon

Directions:

Broil the salmon until justflaking.

Cook the rice. Add rice vinegar until the flavor of the rice is right–like sushi rice. This should be ¼ to ½ cups of rice wine vinegar.

Make tightly-squished balls of rice with bits of salmon hidden in the middle. Using an onigiri mold makes this easy.

You can put other things in the middles too!

Cranberry Relish
Jan 24th, 2016 by Alice

From Selma Marie Schiefer Schury

  • 1 lb cranberries
  • 2 oranges
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 apples
  • 1 ½ cups sugar

Directions:

Put all fruit in the food processor until finely ground. Add sugar. Mix. Let stand in the fridge overnight. Stir and serve.

This is an old family recipe, and an alternative to sweet cooked cranberry sauce.

Soy Yogurt (homemade)
Apr 27th, 2015 by Alice

Alice Enevoldsen

Tools:

  • Yogurt Maker (~$25)
  • Candy Thermometer

Ingredients:

  • 3 Capsules Probiotic* or safe yogurt starter — this is the hardest one with dietary restrictions
  • 3.5 Cups Soymilk — must be plain, unsweetened, unenriched. The ingredients should be soy and water.
  • 1/4 Cup Sweetener — try honey first.
  • 2/3 Tsp (or 1/4 Packet) Gelatin
  • A little vanilla if you want vanilla flavor
Soy Yogurt

Soy yogurt in process

How:

Mix soymilk, sweetener, and 3/4 tsp gelatin.

Bring the soymilk/sweetener/gelatin to 180F (not 212!). Stir it so as not to burn it on the bottom. Set it aside.

While the soymilk is cooling, consider sterilizing your yogurt jars.

When the soymilk is 110F (measure!) take out 1 cup and dissolve 3 caplets of probiotic in that 1 cup, OR 1 tablespoon of your last batch of yogurt. Mix that cup gently back into the rest of the milk.

You can cool the soymilk to 110 faster by floating the pot in a sink of cold water. Cooler than 110 is okay, hotter is not.

If you’re adding vanilla, add a little to each jar you want vanilla flavored. Leave one jar unflavored (so you have starter next time). For beginners like me fruit should be added at eating time.

Fill each jar 3/4 full and place in the yogurt maker. DO NOT put lids on the jars, but DO put the lid on the yogurt maker. Turn it on.

Return in 6-8 hours (I do this overnight). Gently tip one jar. The yogurt should jiggle and bulge like set jello. When it slips, it should pull away from the side of the jar making a space there.

Put the lids on the finished jars, label them with the date, and put them in the fridge. They’ll be ready to eat in 3 hours and good for 7 days.

Tweaks:

If this is too sweet for you, or not as solid as you’d like, it should process longer. Try 7-8 hours if it is just a little off or 12 hours if you want it tarter. (If you want it sweeter AND more solid, add sweetener and/or more gelatin in stage 1).

Tips and Product Links:

No one gave me any products to try. I discovered and purchased these on my own.

  1. Epica Yogurt Maker:  Also works with seven 4-oz mason jars, or four wide-mouth 8-oz mason jars. I might recommend a larger brand name, or one that has the option of a taller lid. Not sure. Yogurt Maker Automatic with Glass Jars by Euro Cuisine YM100 or Tribest Yolife YL-210 Yogurt Maker.
  2. *Starter. If you’re as allergic to milk as we are, don’t use a yogurt starter, INCLUDING the one that comes with the Epica yogurt maker. They’re usually milk-contaminated. We like Klaire Labs Ther-Biotic Complete, it’s a probiotic capsule. We have also used Jarro-Dophilus Allergen Free Jarrow Formulas, but the flavor it made wasn’t as good. We might eventually try the Yolife Yogurt Starter that is vegan. (You want a starter or probiotic that contains these three microorganisms: lactobacillus rhamnosus, bifidobacterium bifidum, lactobacillus acidophilus. If you can have more rhamnosus than the others, my research says you’re on the road to thicker, sweeter yogurt.)
    It is YOUR job to check all ingredients and cross-contamination to see if it is safe FOR YOU.
  3. Soy milk. Non-sweetened, non-enriched (this part is important, you want to avoid the other ingredients they’ll mess up the “set” of the yogurt). We use Pacific Organic Soy Original UnsweetenedIt is YOUR job to check all ingredients and cross-contamination to see if it is safe FOR YOU.
  4. Sweetener. I’ve only used honey so far, but anything sugary that the bacteria can eat.
  5. Gelatin. Many people use other thickeners. I chose gelatin because I’m familiar with how it works in cooked recipes.
  6. Date Labels. You can label any way you want. I use removable date labels.
  7. Don’t eat your first batch all at once, testing various ways of making it. There’s going to be more good bacteria in there than your body is used to. Ramp up slowly. You wouldn’t swallow a ton of probiotic pills all at once: eat your yogurt in moderation until your body is used to it.

FAQs:

I found these links useful–

http://nourishedkitchen.com/troubleshooting-homemade-yogurt-questions/

http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/family-recipes/five-things-you-should-not-do-when-making-homemade-yogurt

http://www.yolifeyogurt.com/faq.asp

The only company making soy yogurt safe for us closed its doors in March of this year. Luckily, their product was so great, it gave me assurance that good soy yogurt was possible. Thanks to David for all the tips, and the boost in morale about the possibility of making soy yogurt at home.

Edamame/Soybean Hummous
Sep 25th, 2014 by Alice

From Alice Enevoldsen

2013_10_05 Edamame hummus 002-800

As we’re allergic to most beans and legumes (and chickpeas) I was excited by the idea of Edamame Hummous. All the ones I found on the market were combinations of chickpeas and edamame, so I tried making an edamame-only version. Get shelled edamame to save yourself some work.

  • 2 ¼ cups shelled edamame – frozen (This is 1 bag of Cascade Farm)
  • Enough water to see the water through the edamame when boiling in the pot.
  • 6-8 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 6-8 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
  • 6-10 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Paprika

Directions:

Cook the edamame in a saucepan with the water until soft enough to eat. Drain.

Blend in a blender with olive oil.

Add all other ingredients. Blend some more. The better your blender, the less you’ll have to scrape the edges and stir it up. My blender is just okay, so I stop every minute or so to move all the goop around, or when I start to hear the motor whirring the blades in an empty space it made  in the middle of the hummous.

Serve up in a bowl or on a plate. Make a little divet in the middle, fill with olive oil, and dust with a generous helping of paprika.

Yum!

The longer you blend, the smoother your hummous.

Tomatillo Salsa — Canned (Very Mild)
Sep 30th, 2013 by Alice

2013_09_30 Tomatillo salsa 007-800

Tomatillo Salsa in 1/2 pint wide-mouth jars

From Alice Enevoldsen

  • 24 cups husked and diced tomatillos (117 assorted sizes)
  • 6 small tomatoes
  • 1 onion (lightly caramelized in olive oil)
  • 4 heads garlic, roasted.
  • 2 Anaheim chili peppers, de-seeded and de-veined  (I’m not so great at heat, you can add more if you like)
  • 2 bunches cilantro, leaves only
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 & 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 & 3/4 cups white vinegar (this may contain corn or wheat, so depending on your allergies choose a light vinegar you know is safe for you)
  • 1 cup bottled lime juice
  • 24 (8 oz) half pint glass jars with lids and bands, sterlized

Directions:

Be careful canning, follow sterile procedure to protect yourself and your food from bacteria.

Chop everything into small bits, according to your taste for salsa. Add the roast garlic (mush it into smallish pieces and spread it through). Mix everything together.

Fill your jars, wipe the rims, and process for 15 minutes in a hot water bath.

2013_09_30 Tomatillo salsa 008-800

It’s also yummy fresh!

Lemon Cucumber Refrigerator Pickles
Sep 25th, 2013 by Alice

Fridge-canned lemon cucumber pickles!

Fridge-canned lemon cucumber pickles!

From Jason Enevoldsen

Fill your containers with a densely-packed mix of chopped:

  • Japanese cucumbers
  • Lemon cucumbers
  • Shallots
  • Garlic

Brine (per pint)

  • 1/2 cup white vinegar (usually contains wheat or corn, choose a light vinegar that is safe for you)
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar (may contain undisclosed ingredients, choos a brand that is safe for you)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon pickling salt (makes clearer pickle brine)

Spices (total amount — approximately two teaspoons per pint)

  • black pepper – whole (more of this)
  • coriander seed (more of this)
  • yellow mustard seed
  • celery seed
  • bay leaves (fresh)
  • whole dried  thai peppers

Directions:

Boil the brine, chop the veggies.

Add the spice mix to the heated, sterilized canning jars.

Pack the jars with the veggies, fill to within 1/2-inch of the top with the brine. Add the lids and rings, process 5 minutes in a hot water bath, cool in temperate water and put in the fridge as soon as they’re touchably cool.

Be careful canning, follow sterile procedure to protect yourself and your food from bacteria.

Green Tomato Picallilli (Canned)
Sep 23rd, 2013 by Alice

Cooking stage of Green Tomato Picallilli

Cooking stage of Green Tomato Picallilli

From Alice Enevoldsen

  • 7 lbs green tomatoes
  • 3 tart apples
  • 3 sweet onions
  • 1 green pepper
  • 4 celery stalks
  • 3 cups cider vinegar (white vinegar contains wheat or corn, choose a cider vinegar that is safe for you)
  • 1.5 cups brown sugar
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup canning salt (regular salt makes the mix cloudy)

Pickling Spice

  • 7 parts cumin seed
  • 1 part black pepper
  • 1 part turmeric
  • 7 parts coriander (whole)
  • 1 part yellow mustard seed
  • 1 part brown mustard seed
  • 1 part celery seed
  • 1 part whole cloves

Directions:

Wash and chop tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt, tie up in cheesecloth and let drain for at least 4 hours. Discard the liquid.

Chop all other vegetables & fruits. Heat the rest of the ingredients, then add chopped tomatoes and vegetables. and fruits.

Cook over low heat until thickened and there is no water left (2-3 hours). The mixture should begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Spoon into pint-jars (7-9). Wipe clean, add lids, and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Be careful when canning. Follow all canning safety protocols to reduce the risk of exposure to dangerous bacteria.

Green Tomato Pickles
Sep 22nd, 2013 by Alice

From Alice Enevoldsen

Green Tomato Pickles!

Green Tomato Pickles!

  • dozens and dozens of green tomaotes.

Brine (per quart)

  • 1 cup white distilled vinegar (usually contains wheat or corn, choose a light vinegar that is safe for you)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon canning salt (MUST BE canning salt)

Dill/Garlic Pickle Spice (per quart)

  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoon dill seeds
  • 3 fresh bay leaves
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled

Curry Spice (per quart)

  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • a bunch of ground cayenne to your liking
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 3/4 inch fresh ginger root, sliced into thin coins

Directions:

So I modified the recipe from Garden Betty.

Wash, dry, and slice your green tomatoes. Bring brine ingredients to a boil.

Put the pickling spice mix that you prefer in a hot,clean quart jar. Pack the jar full of the cut tomatoes.

Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes. Cover them completely and leave 1/2-inch headspace. Stir with a sterilized implement to remove any bubbles. Clean the rim, seal with a lid and band, and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.

The green tomatoes will be pickled in three weeks.

Please follow good instructions and in-depth safety precautions when home-canning. You want all canning to be perfect or you end up with dangerous bacteria and molds growing in your cans.

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