Archives for posts with tag: Recipes

Easy Miso Soup Recipe

July 12, 2010 //
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Miso Soup by jk.jkitan on flickr

Miso soup is a healthy, satisfying, warming and nourishing snack or meal.  Macrobiotic adherents suggest a bowl of miso soup every day to encourage healthy bacteria in the gut, which improves digestion.  But all those little paper packets get to be a bit of a strain on the old wallet – not to mention the environment.

It’s easy to make a bowl of miso soup from scratch in less than 5 minutes.  Forget about the takeaway containers and the instant soup sachets.  With a few ingredients you can find at your local Asian grocery, homemade miso soup is easier than instant.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 large handful dried seaweed (wakame or kelp)
  • 1 scallion/spring onion
  • 1 heaped Tbsp miso paste
  • any chopped vegetables of your choice (optional)
  • a handful of cubed tofu (optional)

Step By Step

  1. Fill a small saucepan with the water and seaweed.  Bring a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
  2. Tear or chop the scallion/spring onion into tiny pieces.  Add to the soup.
  3. Add any other chopped vegetables and/or tofu (optional)
  4. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat.  Stir in miso paste until fully dissolved.
  6. Pour into a bowl and enjoy!


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How to Make Sauerkraut

July 10, 2010 //
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Sauerkraut Finished

Why From Scratch?

Sauerkraut falls into the family of living foods – cultured and fermented products that are incredibly beneficial for their good bacteria, keeping gut health in balance and aiding digestion.  But most brands found in shops have been pasteurized – that is, heated to kill bacteria.  I get the reasoning behind this – we don’t want our foods becoming contaminated when they sit on shelves.  But doesn’t that defeat the purpose of eating cultured vegetables?  I mean, it still tastes nice, but it takes away all the health benefits by killing the good bacteria along with the bad.

So the obvious solution is to make your own.  Yes, it’s a little bit messy, but it doesn’t take too long and you get a lot of bang for your buck.  One head of cabbage, which costs under $5, produces 5-6 1 litre jars of kraut – which would cost about $8-$10 each in a shop – and which will last for months in sealed containers in your fridge.  And you can flavor each batch to your liking.

Step By Step

  1. Get your jars ready.  You’ll need 5-6 1 litre jars for a whole head of cabbage.  Give them a good wash, then submerge in boiling water to sanitize.  We don’t want any bad bacteria getting in there!  Leave them to dry while you make the sauerkraut.
  2. You need to get your cabbage really small.  The easiest way to do this is to chop it into chunks and feed it through your food processor using the slicing blade.  Alternatively, if you’ve got good knife skills, you can cut it up by hand.
  3. Put all that shredded cabbage in a big bowl.  For each head of cabbage, add 2 Tbsp of the best quality salt you’ve got – I like Himalayan or sea salt.
  4. Time to get messy!  Roll up your sleeves, give your hands a good wash, and start massaging your cabbage.  Imagine you’re kneading bread or giving your girlfriend a nice backrub (hint, hint).  Keep going for 3-5 minutes, until your cabbage has released a lot of liquid and reduced in volume by about 1/3.Sauerkraut Steps 1-4
  5. Add your seasoning.  The traditional seasoning is caraway seeds – you’ll need about 1 tsp for each head of cabbage.  I am also fond of a simple seasoning of minced garlic and chillies.  You can get inventive here!  Whatever you choose, mix it through thoroughly, and remember that you don’t need much because the flavour will intensify.
  6. Stuff your sauerkraut into the jars, pressing down as you go.  Make sure to add some of that liquid that the cabbage released as you massaged it.  Leave a little bit of space at the top before tightly securing the lid – things will get bubbly as fermentation occurs.
  7. Leave your jars in a dark, out-of-the-way place for 3-5 days.  It takes less time in warm weather, more time in the cold.  Check on them periodically to see the magical transformation in action!
  8. When your sauerkraut is ready, it will be significantly lighter in color and taste like, well, sauerkraut.  Stored in the refrigerator,  it will keep for many months.
    Making Sauerkraut, steps 5-8

    Steps 5-8: seasoning, jarring, bubbling, ready to eat

     

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Almond Milk Recipe

July 8, 2010 //
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Almonds by Rune T on Flickr

Nut milks are a creamy, delicious drink for those who prefer to stay away from their processed dairy and soy counterparts.  Nuts are full of the good fats that our bodies need to build strong tissue and glowing skin, but eating lots of them can be tough on the belly!  This simple drink makes the health benefits of nuts easier to access, as well as providing a great alternative to other types of milks.

Health food stores sell packaged almond and other nut milks.  But why spend lots of money on the packaged and pasteurized version when you can make your own quick, living version?  You can use almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, hemp seeds, or my favorite, brazil nuts – or any other nut or seed that you have on hand.  Each has its own subtle flavor, which you can enhance by adding honey, agave or dates to sweeten if you like.

Homemade nut milk is healthier, tastier and easier than instant.

Almond Milk

Materials & Ingredients

  • A food processor
  • A good blender
  • 1 cup nuts or seeds
  • 3 cups water
  • a mesh strainer or piece of muslin/cheesecloth (optional)
  • A mixing bowl (optional)
  • A couple of large glass jars

Step By Step

  1. Soak nuts in a bowl with plenty of water to cover overnight or for at least 8 hours.  Drain and rinse thoroughly (this releases enzyme inhibitors that make the nuts harder for your body to break down, so they are now more digestible and nutrients more accessible).
  2. Place nuts in the food processor and whir for 30 seconds, or until the nuts are well ground.  Some fattier nuts will almost become nut butter in this time – that’s okay!  If you have a powerful blender, you can skip this step, and just chuck the whole nuts into the blender with water.
  3. Remove the ground nuts and place in the blender with water.  Blend for 30 seconds, or until the milk is white and well combined.
  4. Optional: Strain the milk through a strainer, cheesecloth or muslin into the mixing bowl.  Press down on the solids with a large spoon to get out all the liquid.  Note: This step is optional – I often drink my milk unstrained, especially when I’m using fattier nuts that dissolve better like cashew or brazil nuts.
  5. Pour the milk into jars.  Will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.  Use just like you’d use dairy or soy milk – on cereal, in coffee, in smoothies, in baking, or just for a refreshing drink.
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Pumpkin, Feta & Olive Wholemeal Muffins Recipe

July 6, 2010 //
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Why Bake Savoury Muffins From Scratch?

Hands up if you love baked goods!  There’s something so comforting about freshly baked breads, muffins and other grainy treats.  But I’m really dubious about most of what I find in shops because you just don’t know what goes into their pastries.  White flour, white sugar, butter, oil, and where did they get their eggs?  Sure, there are some fantastic wholesome, organic bakeries out there.  But most of the time, it’s a safer bet to make your own.  That way you can tweak your recipes to your liking – whole grain or gluten free flours, raw sugar, olive oil, vegan egg substitutes, free range eggs, you name it.  And you get to eat them hot out of the oven – win win!

This recipe was inspired by a score of local goat’s feta and intensely flavored dried olives, as well as my never-ending supply of kabocha pumpkins from the garden.  The three come together to fill these muffins with bites of creaminess, saltiness and sweetness, bound together with wholemeal flour and free range eggs.  It’s a very forgiving recipe, so use whatever you’ve got on hand to make these your own.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups diced kabocha pumpkin
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 100g goats feta
  • 12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander/cilantro or parsley
  • 2 free range eggs
  • ¾ cup milk of any variety (nutmilk, anyone?)
  • 2 cups wholemeal flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • black pepper, to taste
chopped pumpkin, olives and feta
Beautiful Ingredients

Step by Step

Preheat oven to 200° C (390° F).  Spread diced pumpkin across a baking sheet and toss with olive oil.  Spinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes; remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together.  Add feta, olives, chopped herbs and cooled pumpkin.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and a good grind or two (or three!) of pepper.  Slowly add wet ingredients to dry, mixing gently as you go.  Make sure the ingredients are combined, but avoid overmixing.

Pour muffin batter into a standard 12-hole muffin tray and bake at 200° C (390° F) for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

muffins in the oven
Sneaky Oven Pic!

This post originally appeared on my handmade living blog Messy Bessie.

 

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Drunken Pizza Dough

June 30, 2010 //
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Wholemeal beer crust homemade pizzas

Wholemeal pizzas topped with a) pesto, caramelized onion, pumpkin & goat's cheese and b) pesto, mushrooms, zucchini, sundried tomato and goat's chese

Maybe you are a lucky soul sitting in a gorgeous Italian piazza right now, watching elegant ladies strut past ancient fountains while you sip your chianti and scribble in your Moleskin. But if you’re reading this post, chances are you’re experiencing something a bit more mundane. Maybe you’re curled up on the couch with your laptop like me, or sitting at your desk pretending to work while actually reading blogs. Either way, really good pizza is not as accessible to us as it is to our fabulous piazza-sitting friend.

My solution for the no-Italian-pizza blues is to whip up this quick dough.  What I learned from my culinary adventures in Italy is that the best pizza is made of a simple base, stretched thin and covered minimally with high-quality toppings. I’ve one-upped the health factor of this recipe and used wholemeal flour, because it’s important to pack some nutrition in there. You can top this base however you like – lately I’ve been whipping up a simple pesto, caramelizing some onions, and dotting blobs of goats curd here and there.  Bellissimo.

Stuff:

  • 3 c. unbleached flour (preferably wholemeal)
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1⁄2 tsp salt
  • 1 375 ml (12 oz.) can or bottle beer
  • oil for greasing
  • medium mixing bowl
  • 2 baking sheets
Messy Jess spreading homemade pesto on homemade pizza bases

Topping pizza bases with homemade pesto

Step-by-Step

  1. Preheat the oven to 230° C (450° F).
  2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in mixing bowl and mix well.  Add beer and mix until fully combined. Dust a little flour on a clean work surface and place dough on it. Knead for just a minute or two until the dough comes together – it will still be somewhat sticky.
  3. Grease both baking sheets with a little oil. Divide dough in half and spread across baking sheets, stretching as thin as you can without tearing.
  4. Bake bases for 5 minutes, then remove from oven and top however you like.
  5. Return pizzas to oven and bake another 7 to 9 minutes. Check for doneness by gently lifting the base – when the bottom has begun to brown, the pizzas are done.
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