Granola Recipe

It is hard to find a good granola out there, for I have tried many.  I think it is a good idea to make your own, this way you really know what is in there.  Also, whether it is sugar, honey, agave, or whatever natural sweetener you put in, it is important to make foods to learn just how much ingredient for your own knowledge in order to make healthy eating choices.

This recipe is from a friend, who I think might just be the next Top Chef!!! haha  She is going to culinary school and definitely has some skills in the kitchen.  I have yet to try this recipe, but from what I could tell from her Facebook posts, people LIKE IT.

Try it for yourself!

Ruth Lin's Granola Recipe
Makes a big batch, feel free to halve the recipe.

• 8 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup chopped cashews
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup dried blueberries
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup flax seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil.
2. Combine the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 40 minutes total. Stir once halfway through. Cool, then stir in the cranberries/dried fruit/flax before storing in an airtight container.   

Tips from Ruth:

"Since ingredients/nuts can be pricey, I just went to Trader Joe's for all of the ingredients...got a bag of mixed, roasted unsalted fancy nuts.  I also spent some time chopping them up, but I didn't mind. Added to the mix a separate bag of sunflower seeds, and got a bag of walnuts.  Trader Joe's sells 32 oz bags of rolled oats (FYI: it's supposed to be 8 cups, but I found that it comes out to more than 8 cups when measured out).  Trader Joe's sells organic virgin coconut oil now too. Even though it's a pricier granola recipe, I think it's well worth it!"

Mushroom Beef Stew Recipe

 I came across a fellow blogger's site and this sounds like a delicious beef stew.  I have made a beef stew with mushrooms before, and it has turned out really well.  This recipe is making my mouth water...

From Kath Eats Real Food.

Simple Shroom Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 1 pound grass-fed local beef chunks
• 2.5 pints of sliced mushrooms
• 2 carrots
• 4 celeries
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 quart of water
• 1.5 cups frozen peas
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Brown beef. Set aside. Add mushrooms, carrots and celery and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Put mixture into crockpot and cover with water, paprika, peas and salt and pepper. Set to high for 1 hour and low to 2 hours (since everything should already be cooked your just looking for simmer.)



Source: katheats.com/hungerstruck

Roasted Vegetables Recipe

 
New year means let's try some new recipes!  This recipe may not be new, but it is a good time to eat squashes, parsnips and root vegetables.  These are usually high in beta-carotene which is an antioxidant.  And antioxidants are SUPER important because they protect our cells from free radicals that cause damage.  Plus, roast these puppies, and you will be amazed at the flavor.

Roasted Vegetables

Serves 8

• 1 small butternut squash (1 1/2 pounds), pared, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1 pound carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 pound parsnips, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 small rutabaga (1 pound), pared, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1 pound shallots, peeled, halved if large
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425° F.  Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Cover with foil.  Place the vegetables in oven. Roast 1 1/2 hours, uncover, and roast 30 minutes longer, tossing occasionally until vegetables are tender and golden brown. 

*Findfoodlove note: the reason this recipe take so long is because it serves 8 people!  You probably can halve the recipe and the baking time to serve 4 people.

Source and picture source: wholeliving.com

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Fall is here, and the pumpkin season is in FULL swing.  Our harvest this year is huge.  Evidence of my claim?

Here you go.  A trunk full of squashes and pumpkins (all in the pumpkin family).  Great thing about pumpkins is that they can sit in a dark cool place for a long while, and then I eventually make them into pies!

Since we are here to find healthy food, it is quite possible to make a healthy pumpkin pie.  Just don't use cream or evaporated milk.  I use whole milk.  Cut your sugar as well in the recipe, which makes the difference between healthy and unhealthy.

Pumpkins are a decent source of fiber and beta carotene.  This will help your #2 (remembering going 3 times a day is normal! Fewer toxins in the body also means healthier organs).  And, the flavor of fresh pumpkin is deliciously fresh and healthy even on its own.  Pumpkin does have some natural sugar content.

Here's a photo of it mashed up.  Look at that AMAZING color.  Chock-full of beta carotene.

I found a really great recipe on www.pickyourown.org that I use as my base when making fresh pumpkin pie (not from a can).  My pumpkins end up in a beautiful pie, pictured here.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie Recipe from Scratch

Ingredients

• a pie pumpkin (see step 1; you can use different types of pumpkin or even a butternut squash)
• 1 cup sugar (see step 10 for alternatives) (metric: 200 grams) [Findfoodlove cuts by at least 50%]
• 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon (metric: 3.8 grams)
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves (metric: 2 grams)
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice (metric: 2 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (metric: 1.25 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional) (metric: 20 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, I don't use any)
• 4 large eggs 
• 3 cups pumpkin glop (ok... "sieved, cooked pumpkin") (metric: 0.7 litre)
• 1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated milk [Findfoodlove uses whole milk, and I put in less than their 1.5 cans. I eyeball it, sorry no measurements]
  If you can't get canned evaporated milk, make your own from nonfat dried milk and make it twice as concentrated as the directions on the box call for! 
  If you can't get nonfat dried milk, just use milk.
  If you are lactose-intolerant, use lactose-free milk or soy milk.
  One visitor tried fresh whipping cream (unwhipped) and reported  the pie "turned out wonderful! "
  Another suggests using coconut milk, if you are allergic to dairy.

Note: if you do not have cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger, you can substitute 3 teaspoons of "pumpkin pie spice".  It's not exactly the same, but it will do.
Note: If you can't get evaporated milk, you can substitute nonfat dried milk - make it twice as concentrated as the directions on the box say to reconstitute it. It won't be the same as evaporated milk, but it ought to come close.

For directions and the original recipe: Pumpkin Pie recipe found on pickyourown.org

A Salmon Recipe (That Will Make You Awesome)

When you make salmon this way, your friends/family or your hubby (or wifey, we play fair) might just call you AWESOME.  This post, in my opinion, is a kill two birds with one stone because: 1) it's super healthy & tasty, and 2) this probably will improve your relationship (especially those who love with their stomachs!).  

To be upfront here, I didn't write this recipe, but I concocted a very, very similar salmon recipe in my head, executed on it, and was like oh my goodness, this must be some new secret for making incredible salmon!  Well, it didn't take long after searching 'tomatoes' and 'salmon' that my revolutionary recipe probably has been made for, like generations.

But whatever, oh I must caveat, that one very likely reason for my eureka moment with this recipe after I tasted it is because most of my sauce ingredients were from the garden.  But I think no matter what, the recipe will still taste good, and just try your hardest to use organic vine ripened tomatoes.  I think you will taste the difference.  Btw, I didn't do everything here and added other things (like I don't add the extra water if my tomatoes are juicy), so go with whatever you feel like!  The picture above is my own of the salmon I made. 

Salmon with Tomato, Onions, and Capers Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
• 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• The juice of one meyer lemon, or half a regular lemon with a teaspoon of sugar
• 2 Tbsp of capers, drained
• 1 teaspoon of chopped jalapeño peppers (no seeds, no stem, no ribs) either fresh or pickled
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup water
• Salt and pepper
• 2 fresh salmon fillets, 1/2 lb each

Method

1 In a large, wide (at least 12 inches wide) saucepan (one that comes with a cover), heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes, thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, and jalapeño peppers. Simmer for 10 minutes, adding a little water if needed to prevent the sauce from getting too dry. Salt and pepper to taste.

2 Add 1/3 a cup of white wine - a simple Chardonnay will work. Add 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a simmer. Place the fillets in the pan on top of the sauce, skin side down, if the fillets are still in their skin. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 5-10 minutes, depending on how thick the cuts of fish are. Poke the fish with a fork and look for doneness. The fish should still be somewhat rare in the middle, but not raw. Serve immediately, with tomato sauce generously applied.

Serves 4

Source: http://simplyrecipes.com/
More of my postings on salmon: Essentials of Wild Salmon and Healthy Restaurant Review: Cafe Nordstrom

Fresh Tomato Recipe

Since we are all about healthy food here, I think food in its natural state is just as beautiful (and delicious looking) as that when cooked and prepared.  Here's a shot of what came out of our organic garden!!  Handpicked and those tomatoes were a result of us watering and watering (no small feat).

Totally organic yellow squash, red tomatoes, small yellow tomatoes, red and orange peppers, green chives and green beans.  No pesticides, no GMO, just pure flavor and nutrition.  Vine-ripened tomatoes just cannot be compared to grocery store tomatoes that are "artificially" ripened by ethylene gas.  Organic, vine-ripened tomatoes have much more body when it comes to taste.

Tomatoes are technically a fruit and are an excellent source of Vitamin C.  Note that a tomato grown in a hothouse has half the Vitamin C content as a vine-ripened tomato.  Tomatoes when cooked with oil, are rich in carotenoid lycopene, which in studies has led to a significant reduction in prostate cancer (take this advice to the stomach, fellas!).  Lycopene in tomatoes is also linked to protecting against lung and stomach cancers.

Haven't tried this recipe, but it sounds about right (should be good).  I sometimes add mushrooms for even more flavor.  A Williams-Sonoma recipe for Fresh Tomato sauce.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Use the freshest vine-ripened tomatoes you can find to prepare this simple sauce.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lb. ripe plum tomatoes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh oregano
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh basil

Directions:

Place the tomatoes in a tomato press or food mill set over a bowl and pass them through the press or mill. Repeat as needed until all the large pieces of tomatoes are crushed. Set aside.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and stir to combine. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the basil and cook for 1 minute. Makes about 3 cups.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Source: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/ and 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden
A picture of one of our tomato plants: Garden Bounty

Plum Sauce Chicken Recipe

A quick entry today on making some delicious chicken.  A friend posted this recipe some time ago, and is super easy if you are in the need for some good tasting chicken, and appreciate multitasking by having the stove cook for you in the background while you watch TV or hang out at home. 

In case you are wondering, I have decided to have a few postings here and there on recipes to change things up.  We all need some spice in life!  Hope you enjoy this recipe.


Plum Sauce Chicken Recipe

Mix 2/3 cup plum sauce + 1/3 cup chopped scallions + one tablespoon of soy sauce.
Pour over 3 pounds of chicken legs that have been sprinkled with salt and pepper.
Cook on low for about 4 hours.  Serve with rice for best results. :)

A Simple Asparagus Recipe

Asparagus is in season!  Delicious crunch and sweet flavor.  You might want to consider near future application of asparagus to your taste buds!  First things first, how to buy and how to eat.  I will save the nutritional information on asparagus for later postings.

Asparagus is at its peak from February through June.  What to look for?  I prefer thick stalks, although thin works too.  After eating, I have found that the thin asparagus was a bit old.  Tender stalks are a priority since they just taste better!  You want tightly closed tips, no flowering.  Stalks should be bright green and firm.  Flimsy means old produce. 

The vegetable doesn't sit for long in the refrigerator, so you should eat it within a few days. This recipe is from Martha Stewart's collection, with a few of my modifications on seasoning. 


Sauteed Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Minced garlic (4 cloves) with one minced green onion
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6), cut into 2-inch pieces, marinated with some sesame oil (1 tablespoon) and a little soy sauce
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 pounds asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 2-inch lengths (cut on an angle)
• Cooked noodles or rice (optional)

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Gently fry garlic and green onion (less than one minute).  Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook in two batches, turning occasionally, until browned and opaque throughout, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate.

To skillet, add mushrooms, asparagus, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing once and scraping up browned bits, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chicken; cook, tossing, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Serve on top of noodles or rice, if desired.

Source: Base of recipe came from Martha Stewart: www.marthastewart.com