Apple Cranberry Jam

This recipe was introduced to be by the lovely Dana Chepulis, and we made it together as gifts to give away for Christmas. It is an amazing jam, full of warm, rich winter flavors. My kids eat it on PBJs (spoiled) but it is easily dressed up on brie, tarts etc... If you have never made jam before I recomend this one as a starter. It is pretty foolproof, and the apples and cranberries have enough pectin that you don't have to add anything, very straightforward. I have adapted this recipe from http://foodinjars.com/ This is an excellent canning resource with recipes, how-to's and product reviews.

Can on and enjoy!

Apple-Cranberry Jam

Yield: 4 1/2 - 5 pints.

Ingredients

• 8 cups of peeled and diced apple (approximately 5-6 large apples, 1/2 inch dice. Use a softer apple like a Golden Delicious. Firm apples won't cook down as well.)
• 4 cups of whole cranberries
• 6 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. Combine the apples, cranberries, sugar and water in a large pot (use a big one, this jam will bubble) over high heat. Bring to a boil, skimming off the foam that develops on the top of the fruit. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the cranberries pop and the apples soften.
2. Add the lemon  juice and spices and simmer until the liquid in the pot begins to thicken (because both apples and cranberries are naturally high in pectin, you won't need any additional pectin to help this jam set, as long as you cook it until thick and syrup-y).
3. Ladle into prepared jars, wipe rims, apply lids and process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Label nicely and distribute to those you love.

Savory Onion Jam with Rosemary

I am ashamed that i have not posted this before. I use this recipe a lot, especially when we have lots of onions at Fair Foods. It is a delicious savory jam that is excellent on sandwiches as a condiment and works delightfully on a cheese tray. It is sweet and savory and delicious. Warning to the impatient: This recipe takes a LONG time! Maybe it is just that I always have tons of onions and sometimes triple the recipe, but it takes a very long time for the liquid to evaporate out. So my advice, get it in the pot and go clean the house, watch a movie, whatever...do something else, and when you come back onion magic will have happened.

This recipe was adapted from a very handy and fun website http://www.punkdomestics.com. I highly recommend them as a good do it yourself kitchen resource.

SAVORY ONION JAM WITH ROSEMARY
Makes 4-5 8 ounce jars

Ingredients:
3 pounds sweet yellow onions (about 10 large onions), peeled and sliced thinly
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh (or dried) thyme
3 bay leaves
3 to 4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup Sherry
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup white sugar

Method:

Heat a large stock pot (with a tight fitting lid) over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add in onion slices and stir, sprinkle with salt. Add in bay leaves, rosemary and thyme sprigs.

Place the lid snugly on the pot, and simmer the onion mixture for 15-20 minutes. The onions should have lost a lot of their liquid at this point.

Remove the lid and add in vinegar, Sherry, honey, and sugar. Add in a bit more black pepper, as well as the red chili flakes. Allow to simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, until half the liquid is gone (about 20 minutes).

Once  the liquid is reduced, remove the bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary sprigs. Taste, and add more salt (or sugar) if needed. Allow the mixture to simmer until the liquid is reduced and the jam is thick, dark, and sticky (30+ minutes). Be careful not to let the mixture burn.

Transfer to clean & sterilized jars. Seal the jars and store in the fridge. The jam will keep for 3-4 weeks.

The BEST Pumpkin Soup Eva! (Pumpkin Red Lentil Awesomeness)

I found this idea last week and decided to try it since I have lots of lentils and lots of pumpkin in my life I threw a bunch of both in a pot and went to work. When I came home is was the most amazing thing ever. This soup is hearty and bursting with flavor, but the best part is that it is super easy. Try it and enjoy!

Pumpkin Lentil soup

1 medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 carrots chopped
1 roasted red pepper chopped
1 small sugar pumpkin, seeded, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 cups red lentils
6 cups veggie broth
1 cup  + non-dairy milk (depending on how thick you desire your soup)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
salt and pepper
parsley to garnish


1. Heat a large heavy bottomed stockpot on medium-high. Add onions, garlic, and carrots; lightly salt, stir and then add a few tablespoons of water to steam them. When the onions are starting to turn translucent on the edges, add the red pepper, pumpkin and lentils. Stir to mix, then add the broth. If the broth does not cover all your veggies, add some water to just cover them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin and carrots can be easily pierced with a knife.
2. Add the spices and stir. Using either an immersion blender or regular blender, blend the soup to a smooth consistency. Stir in the non-dairy milk and lemon juice keep warm until you serve. Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

Ethiopian-Spiced Pumpkin Bisque

I love pumpkin anything, but am especially partial to soup. This is a fun spicy twist on the traditional pumpkin bisque, but the best part is that it is vegan, low fat, nutritious and delicious. I am reposting this from http://blog.fatfreevegan.com. An excellent resource if you are looking for good vegan recipes.

Ethiopian-Spiced Pumpkin Bisque

This is a very versatile recipe. You can use any type of winter squash instead of pumpkin and any type of seasoning instead of berbere, so this could be Curry-Spiced Butternut Soup or Baharat-Spiced Cushaw Soup. Just be sure you use around 3 cups of cooked squash and add seasonings carefully because they vary in potency.

INGREDIENTS:
1 small pumpkin or winter squash (about three pounds or three cups cooked pumpkin
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-4 tsp berbere spice mix*
1/2 - 1 cup non dairy milk
Salt and black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cut open pumpkin or squash and remove seeds and strings.. Place it cut-side up on a baking sheet and cover with foil (or place in a large, covered baking dish). Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until flesh is very tender when pricked with a fork. Remove and allow to cool until it can be handled comfortably.
2. Cook the onion in a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat until it begins to brown. (If it starts to stick, add a tablespoon of water and stir well.) Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add a splash of the vegetable broth to deglaze the pan, and then pour the onions into the blender. Scrape the pumpkin out of its shell and add the flesh to the blender, along with the remaining broth, tomato paste, and berbere spice mix. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour the contents of the blender back into the pan, cover, and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the non-dairy milk, using as much as needed to reach the right consistency. Add the lime juice, salt, and pepper, and simmer for about 5 more minutes before serving. Serve in shallow bowls, sprinkled with pumpkin seeds, if desired.

Notes

*To make the berberé spice mixture, combine:

1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground fenugreek
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (use less to decrease spiciness or substitute paprika)
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground sea salt (optional)

This makes 4 tablespoons of seasoning, but the bisque only calls for 2-4 teaspoons. Store the leftover seasoning in a spice jar in a cool, dark place.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 50 minute(s

Sweet and Spicy Eggplant

Our last harvest from our garden was this week and we had the surprise of four beautiful, large Asian eggplant. These eggplant have much thinner skins and smaller softer seeds than the traditional European eggplant. 

We went to a Chinese restaurant last year that served an awesome eggplant dish and this is my attempt to emulate it. I think it worked out really well. So well in fact that my husband who sometimes plays along, but I am pretty sure has an eggplant aversion, put more on his plate after the first bite. (one more point for the vegetable team) This dish is delicious, hearty, sweet and spicy. It can be used as a side, served over rice or noodles or just eaten by itself.

One key ingredient for this dish is Trader Joes Sweet Chili Sauce. It is an excellent sauce that we use for other Asian-inspired dishes and the boys love to dip spring rolls in it.

Sweet and Spicy Eggplant

4 Asian eggplants, halved and sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 medium onion, diced

1/3 cup chili sauce

pinch of Chinese 5-spice

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and lightly salt. Cook about two minutes. 

2. Add the eggplant to the pot. Saute about three minutes with the onions. Add the vinegar, sauce and 5-spice, and stir. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook covered for 35-40 minutes or until the eggplant is soft and the sauce is very thick. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

Roasted Green Tomato Salsa (a.k.a. what to do with your green tomatoes)

Fall is in full swing here in New England in all it's beauty, but the big question looms before us....WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL OUR GREEN TOMATOES???? We work all summer and see the fruits getting round and fat, but then it gets cold and some of them NEVER turn red. This recipe has saved me from feeling that Tomatoes are an act of futility in Boston.


Our first cold snap was this week and Aaron and I went to the community garden and excitedly gathered up all the green tomatoes that were still clinging to the fallen frostbitten vines. (I was still holding out hope that they might...might turn) There were A LOT, which is great because we made A LOT of salsa.

This recipe is a pretty mild salsa. We grew a lot of Thai chilies in the garden this year, and some Anaheim and Jalapeno. The Thai chilies are pretty mild, so this salsa is mild. I would be more bold next time and add more, but I did not want to blow it out of the water and not be able to eat it at all. Spice it as you like it.

All the work for this recipe is done in the oven and blender/food processor, and the longest part really is the canning if you choose to can it.

Roasted Green Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:
8 quarts of green tomatoes, cored
2 heads of garlic
1 red bell pepper
1 green or yellow or banana pepper
3-4 Chili peppers
4 red onions
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 bunch cilantro (well washed)
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
(do not skip this if you are canning!!! It is essential for providing enough acid to the recipe to make it safe to can)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and core all tomatoes. Place tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Separate the heads of garlic into cloves and scatter among the tomatoes. Roast the tomatoes and garlic in the oven for 40 minutes.

2. While the tomatoes roast in the oven, roast the peppers. You can do this in the oven too under the broiler, or if you have a gas stove or blowtorch you can scald the skin that way. Place peppers in direct flame until the skin is completely blackened and blistered, then place them in a sealed plastic zip-top bag to steam.

3. When the tomatoes are almost done, peel your onions and process them in your blender or food processor. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add your onions and saute the onions until they are opaque. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers, process and add to the onions. Process the cilantro with half the roasted tomatoes, add to the pot. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins and process with the remaining tomatoes, add to the pot. Stir in coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Bring salsa to a boil and boil for one minute, stirring if needed. Place in sterilized jars and process in a boiling water bath for 17 minutes.

Makes 16 cups

Spiced Vanilla Pear Jam

What do you do when you are given a box of pears? Make spiced pear jam! I also had genuine Malaysian vanilla beans from Dwight and Joy that I was saving, the combination produced a beautiful baby. Any kind of pears work for this jam. I received Bartlett pears, but I have also used fresh pears from a local tree. Fresh pears are sometimes hard and people get confused by them, but they work beautifully with this recipe. This jam is great on anything, scones, toast and PB&J, but it really screams to be spread on a soft cheese with crackers. Have some fun and enjoy!

Pear Vanilla Jam

Yield: Makes 3.5 Pints (fills seven half pint jars)

Ingredients

• 8 cups chopped Bartlett pears (or any smooth, thin-skinned pear. There’s no need to peel.)
• 2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 packet pectin

Instructions

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine chopped pears, sugar and vanilla beans (and all that bean-y goodness you scraped out). Cook over medium heat until the fruit can easily be smashed with the back of a wooden spoon. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to break the fruit down into a mostly-smooth sauce (remove the vanilla bean solids before blending).
2. Add the pectin and bring to a rolling boil. Let boil for a full five minutes in order to active the pectin, so that the finished product will have a nice jammy consistency.

1. 3. Fill jars, wipe rims to remove any residual jam, apply lids (heat canning lids in a small pot over very low heat while you’re preparing the jam to ensure a good seal) and screw on the rims.
2. 4. Process the filled jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes (start the timer when the pot has returned to a boil). When the time has elapsed, remove jars from pot and place the jars on a towel-lined countertop. Let them cool undisturbed for at least two hours. During this time, the lids should seal. Check to ensure the jars have sealed by pushing down on the center of the lid. If it feels solid and doesn’t move, it is sealed.

Whole Food Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

It's my favorite time of year in New England. Crisp scarf-wearing weather where you grab a hot drink and sit outside to just look at the trees that seem to be on fire with color. Also....EVERYTHING can be flavored with PUMPKIN!!!!

I know there are some of you out there that make fun of pumpkin-everything season, but for veggie-heads like myself pumpkin is awesome. It is a sweet squash that can be used in baking as egg and butter substitutes, thickens soups, is great in smoothies, and now this! I was very excited to find this recipe, and even more excited that I was given a rescued pumpkin yesterday. He had been dropped (I think) and had a crack in him, but we cooked up the good parts last night, and roasted the seeds and today everyone is in pumpkin heaven. (it does exist) There will be more pumpkin deliciousness recipes to follow you can be sure.

This recipe requires cooked or pureed pumpkin. I used almond milk, but soy, coconut or dairy milk can be used. If you are used to the super sugared pumpkin flavored things that you can purchase you may want to sweeten the hot chocolate a bit more. I also used my Vitamix. The blessed machine works so hard, that if I leave it alone for a few minutes it will boil everything for me. I put everything in my blender, made the kiddos lunches, and it was all hot and ready. You can also pour it out into a saucepan and heat it up if you do not have a blender with a weed-whacker engine attached. Try it and tailor it to your desires. It made my morning beautiful and i hope it does the same for you.

Whole food Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
(serves 4-5)

3 cups Almond Milk
1 cup pureed pumpkin
2 tbsp cocoa
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 tsp vanilla
pinch nutmeg
dash cinnamon

1. Place all ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth.
2. Heat it up and drink it down. mmmmmmm

Vegan, Gluten-Free Cracker Jacks

"Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks..." Isn't that how the song goes? Well, forget it buddy when they are asking me to pay $5.50 for a bag of corn syrup covered pop corn and peanuts that is only going to keep you occupied for half an inning. Not a chance.

And with a crew like this to take to a Red Sox game I have to bring a lot of snacks if I want to sit and watch a whole game.

This recipe saves you money in your wallet and doesn't compromise your health. It is super easy, especially if you use my Home-Made Microwave Popcorn recipe.http://sarahsfreshlife.blogspot.com/2013/09/home-made-microwave-popcorn.html
I used walnuts and slivered almonds because that is what I had, but you can use any kind of nut you like, and if you want at the end before you dry it, stir in some dried fruit or chocolate chips. It is a great recipe to personalize to your family's tastes.

Enjoy and GO RED SOX!!


Cracker Jacks

1/2 cup popcorn kernels popped
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tbsp agave nectar (honey or maple syrup would also work fine)
1/4 tsp salt
dash cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup nuts of your choice

1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pop the popcorn. Pour out popped corn into a large roasting pan and set aside. Toss in nuts. note: it is a good idea to pick out any un-popped kernels.

2. In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine; sugar, agave, salt, cinnamon and coconut oil. Bring to a boil and continue to cook 5 minutes without stirring.

3. Remove from heat. Stir  in baking soda and vanilla. Pour over popcorn and nuts and stir.

4. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 min. Remove from the oven and pour out onto parchment paper or a cookie sheet to cool.

Home-Made Microwave Popcorn

OK friends, this recipe has changed my life! I love it!! 

 A good friend of mine, Kristi Ellens waltzed into my apartment this summer with this cute little brown bag full of warm freshly popped popcorn, and I had to ask...Where did you get that? She shrugged and said, "I just put it in the microwave. It's totally easy." Blow my mind!!

Thanks Kristi! It is good to have smart friends. :)

Try this. It requires no oil, has no crazy preservatives or coloring, but is great for flavoring your to your own liking. I have laid out the "how to," and then some flavoring options below. But honestly, all you need is a microwave, some corn and a brown bag. (a good movie on a comfy couch is optional but always an excellent addition)

Home-Made Microwave Popcorn

1/4 cup popcorn kernels

1 lunch-sized brown paper bag

1. Put the kernels in the bag

2. Put the bag in the microwave

3. Cook it on high for 2 minutes

4. Take it out of the microwave

5. Eat it!

Favor variations we like:

1. Skip the salt and butter:

     for some tasty Vegan corn spray the kernels after you put them in the bag with 3 spritzes of Bragg's Liquid Aminos.

3. Sweet Chocolate:

    After taking the popped corn out of the microwave add: 1 tsp powdered sugar, 1 tsp cocoa powder, pinch of salt, pinch of cinnamon and pinch of cyan pepper. Then, shake the bag around to distribute the coating. This works best if you do it when the corn is still hot and steamy.

SICILIAN SWISS CHARD

 I took a walk over the the TNT children's Learning Garden this week to check on the plots I planted and worked on this summer with our Junior Park Patrol. They were bursting with veggies and flowers!! One of the things we had a lot of were greens. Beautiful, organic Kale and Swiss Chard. We received seedlings early this spring from our local urban organic farm, Revision Farm,(check them out! http://www.vpi.org/revision/). Our teenagers planted the seedlings when they were only two inches high and this week they were sprawling all over our garden beds.

This is my bounty!

I was ecstatic to pick the greens, but not sure how I was going to convince my family to eat them. Sometimes I can get a handful in the morning smoothie and get away with it, and the boys like Kale chips, but i have never been very successful with getting them to eat cooked greens straight. So I set off across the waves of the world wide web to find something different that might work. I stumbled across this recipe, originally from Vegetarian Times. I have changed and tweaked it to be my own. It was a success!! Keith, who usually is allergic to greens of any shade and texture, ate it, and Joseph had two helpings. AMAZING!! I really liked it, and I have altered the recipe and used it with the Kale too, substituting with dried cranberries and slivered almonds. That also went over well. The mixture of textures and the sweetness of the raisins and apple cider vinegar really make it a great dish. Enjoy!!

SICILIAN SWISS CHARD

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. veggie oil

1 lb. Swiss chard, leaves cut into ribbons, stems finely chopped and set aside

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons walnuts

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Salt & pepper, if desired


Directions: Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chard stems, onion, nuts, red pepper flakes, garlic and raisins. Sauté 10 minutes, or until onion and chard stems are soft. Stir in chard leaves; sauté 6 minutes, or until greens are tender, stir in apple cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Vegan +Gluten Free = ?

In February I went to go visit my Dr. and as an experiment for my health she recommended that I go Gluten free for a while. I did, and the combination of vegan and gluten free is very hard and confusing, and is the reason for so few blog posts in the past few months. I was trying to figure out how to be creative and delicious with a whole new set of guidelines. I was not a huge fan, but after five weeks I had lost weight and my blood pressure was down, so she told me I should continue. I do not have a gluten allergy, and I am not really sold on cutting it out all together forever, but it has been good to be more mindful of the amount of gluten, especially dessert gluten :) that has been a part of my life.

 I think it is a great idea to limit gluten and eat more whole foods, but there is a growing market of  "gluten-free" foods that have happy healthy looking labels on them but their ingredients include things you cannot pronounce and do not have their origins in the soil at all. There is also a tendency to fixate on one component of health and ignore balance in eating. I do that! It says GF or Vegan, and I think...Great! I am going to eat the whole thing! The biggest thing I am learning with healthy eating is that balance is the key. GF food may still contain a lot of fat, or carbs. There is no magic bullet for health, just a lot of balancing. (I will need to go to Yoga more)

I also discovered that I have an allergy to something in or the processing of GF pasta. (sad day) That was a huge blow to my New Jersey, "everything goes with pasta" upbringing. So I was left with a small amount of products that I could work with and still create something that I was satisfied with. I am going to try and post some of the recipes and products that worked for me. I hope it is helpful and maybe inspires you to cook something creative, delicious and healthy.

Until then I strive on :) Happy Tuesday!

Vegan gluten-free peanut butter chocolate cookies

Becca Cox sent me this recipe and we decided to try it together today. It is AMAZING!! I am so glad there is a way to help meet my need for peanut butter and chocolate, and not feel super guilty and hate myself later. My favorite part of this recipe is that it is made with chick peas. Super easy, throw it in a food processor, shape and bam...cookies :)

Vegan, Gluten-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup natural peanut butter
4 tbsp agave or honey
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
 1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add all ingredients but the chocolate chips to a food processor. Blend on high until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Mix in the chocolate chips by hand.
3. Using a scoop or wet hands form 1 inch balls of dough, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool for 5 min on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

*These cookies are very soft. Store them between parchment in an airtight container in the fridge.*

Happy Earth Day Vegan Cookies

My best friend from high school, Emilie posted a picture of these super cute vegan Earth Day cookies that she made for her daughter's class. I think they are totally cool and will try them A.S.A.P., but wanted to share the recipe while Earth day was still happening. I also think it is super fun to be able to gobble up little earths. (Like Galacticus Devourer of Worlds. I am so a mom of little boys)

 This recipe is a modified version of a vegan sugar cookie recipe. If you do not color the dough and prepare it to make earths you can roll it out for Christmas cookies, or color it and make spring, fall or 4th of July cookies. Very versatile ;)

Vegan Earth Day Cookies

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or 2 cups white flour
3/4 cup white sugar, preferably vegan
 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil or 1/2 cup safflower oil
3 -4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

blue and green paste food coloring

blue and green colored sugar sprinkles

Directions:

1
Mix together pastry flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk the applesauce, oil and vanilla together until well combined.
2
Pour wet ingredients into dry, and stir to mix. Then knead them into a dough. Divide the dough in half and color one half blue and the other half green using desired amounts of the food color pastes. You may be able to use traditional liquid food colors, but to get the vibrance you will want it will require a lot of color and you may need to add some extra flour so the dough is not too sticky.

 3 

On a piece of wax paper gently combine tablespoon - 1/4 cup sized pieces of both colors of dough and form into a 12-18 inch log. Roll the dough up in the wax paper, seal in a gallon zip top bag and refrigerate 2+hours.

4
Start preheating the oven, 350 degrees. Remove the dough from the bag and wax paper wrapping. Roll the chilled dough in the sugar sprinkles. Slice into 1/4 inch slices and place on a nonstick or parchment lined cookie sheet.
 5
Bake for about 10 minutes, till just barely golden brown on the bottom edges. The colored dough makes it hard to tell if the cookies are done, they do not "brown" on top, but the bottoms will brown slightly. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.

Vegan Irish Soda Bread & my comentary on coconut oil

I have been experimenting with vegan baking. I love making soda bread for St Patrick's Day, and so I decided to try my luck with a vegan version. I recently bought a container of virgin coconut oil because I heard that it is good in vegan baking. I had also heard that it is "good for you." Skeptical, I decided to try it, and I did some research. Here is what I came up with...

1. It is delicious
2. It bakes up beautifully for a vegan butter replacement

3. "Good for you"...not so much

In a simple caloric break down Coconut oil is...100% fat, just like any oil. It is NOT a hydrogenated fat, or a fat that is scientifically changed in a lab so that it's structure is unrecognizable to your body and all of it's organic beneficial properties are stripped. Yet it is a saturated fat, and in one teaspoon there are 4.5g of saturated fat or 7% of your daily value. This is MORE than the amount of fat in butter, at 4.1g per teaspoon. Olive oil is much the same yet not a saturated fat. They are all fats. Are all fats created equal?

No. Your body uses both saturated and unsaturated fats for essential functioning of the brain, skin and protection of your organs. You need them, but with ANY kind of fat you only need very small amounts.

So back to coconut oil. It is a plant-based saturated fat that vegans our anyone who appreciates deliciousness can use. It works excellently in baking and is solid at room temperature. I know people use it for saute and roasting also. I liked it, but I would also advise people to know that it is not a magic food. It will make you fat like any other fat. Hold it at arms length, and enjoy it sparingly. It worked great in my soda  bread which made me happy, but that does not mean that I can go and eat the whole loaf myself because it is vegan. Reality.

Bake up some vegan Irish goodness, no haggis, butter, mutton, sausage or leprechauns included.

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
8 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup golden rasins
1/2 cup dark rasins
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 1/3 cups vegan buttermilk (you can use almond milk with 3 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar, let sit 5 min)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flours, sugar, salt, baking soda, & baking powder in a medium bowl.
2. With a pastry blender blend in coconut oil into dry ingredients until the oil chunks are the size of small peas. Stir the raisins and caraway seeds in gently with a fork.
3. Stir in the vegan buttermilk until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 8-10 times. Shape into a 8 inch round. Gently cut a shallow cross in the top of the bread. Brush with almond milk and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of sugar.
4. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes away clean. Cool on a rack.

Additional web information on coconut oil:

 Info on the new hype and how to use coconut oil
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/dining/02Appe.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Dr Joel Fuhrman weighs in
 http://www.diet-blog.com/06/coconut_oil_the_doctors_debate.php

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

4 green bell peppers

3/4 cup long grain brown rice

1/2 white onion; diced

2 garlic cloves; diced

1/2 medium zucchini; diced

1 tablespoon diced jalapeno pepper

2 plumb tomatoes; diced

1 can black beans; rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregono

1/2 tsp chili powder

salt and pepper

2 cups salsa or tomato sauce

grated cheese (optional)

1. Prepare the rice. 3/4 cup rice is cooked with 1 1/2 cups water for 35-40 min. While rice is cooking halve, seed and core the peppers. Set them aside in a 9X13 baking dish. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.

2. Saute the onion, garlic, zucchini, and jalapeno until the onion is opaque. Add the tomatoes, beans, corn and spices. When all is warmed turn off the heat and stir in the rice.

3. Spoon the filling into the pepper halves, it is OK to mound it in the peppers. If there is any extra filling just place it in the bottom of the baking dish around the peppers. cover the top of the peppers with salsa or sauce.(depending on how hot you like it) Sprinkle with grated cheese if you desire.

4. Bake for 20 minutes then serve.

Jicama Salad

This week the unusual veggie of the week is JICAMA!! I am not surprised if you have never heard of it, or if you have heard, have no idea what it tastes like. We get it 2-3 times a year through Fair Foods, and when we get it we feast for days. I have tried to find it in the grocery store and even the large chains have a hard time getting their hands on them. The produce supervisor at Stop and Shop offered to order me one, but could not guarantee that they would get it. So if you find Jicama anywhere buy it, try it and you will love it!

 Jicama is actually the root of a bean vine that is harvested in Mexico, so it is sometimes called yam-bean, but Jicama is the yam part. It is a great source of fiber, high in vitamins C, A, & B and contains high amounts of calcium and phosphorous. It has the consistency between a very crispy apple and a potato, but it is sweet like an apple.
This recipe blends its versatility of crunch and sweet and pairs it with a few other complementary veggies and fruits.

Jicama Salad

1 Jicama bulb; peeled & sliced into sticks
1/2 red onion sliced
2 pickling cucumbers halved and sliced
2 navel oranges; peeled and segmented
1 Avocado; peeled and diced

1/2 lime juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Prepare all veggies and mix in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together lime juice, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salad, toss and serve.

Vegan Banana Ginger Raisin Muffins

Vegan Banana Ginger Raisin Muffins

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup chopped candied ginger
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork till soft. Add the oil, vanilla and sugar and cream together.
In a separate bowl, combine together the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Combine with the banana mixture, then add ginger raisins, and if using, nuts, stirring gently just to combine.
Grease or line a muffin pan, and fill each muffin about 2/3 full with batter. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Vegan Chocolate Banana Muffins

Vegan Chocolate Banana Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1tsp cinnamon

2 wheat germ
3 mashed bananas (ripe)
1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup agave nectar or 1/2 cup honey or 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tin or line with paper cups.
2 Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, wheat germ and cinnamon in a large bowl. Make sure it is well mixed.
3 In a small cup, combine the almond milk with the apple cider vinegar and set aside.
4 Mash or process the bananas, then add oil, honey (or your preferred sweetener) and vanilla to the banana puree.
5 Make a well in the flour mixture. Then pour in the banana mixture and the soy milk/vinegar. Stir until just combined.
6 fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full with batter.
7 Bake for around 20 minutes

Great-Grandmother's Banana Bread (non-vegan)

I do remember my great-grandmother. I don't ever remember her making this banana bread. I remember she had a pink velvet couch that I thought should have belonged to Cleopatra, but I was never allowed to sit on. She also had shiny golden, pointed-toed house slippers that i thought should have belonged to a Jeannie. I remember that she had HBO to watch the Dallas Cowboys, and when we ate a her house we had Campbell's Soup and sandwiches.

This recipe is attributed to her though, and it makes me happy to make it especially when I have a lot of brown bananas that need to be baked into something yummy. This recipe makes 1 loaf, but it successfully doubles if you want to make two. Just remember if you are baking both of them in the same oven to rotate them half-way through.

Banana Bread

3 very ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

In a mixer, mash the bannana, then add the sugar and eggs. Gradually add the dry ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees.

Excellent Any-Time Rolls

These are rolls that are pretty easy for yeast rolls, and i have been making them for years. They remind Keith of bread that they used to get in Germany. The method is part biscuit and part yeast bread and turns out beautifully. We can all thank my next-door neighbor Karyn for pushing for this post. She happened to walk in on my baking/cooking production last night and asked for all the recipes...so thanks Karyn for the first post of 2013!!
I normally shape my rolls into spheres and slit them at the top. they can also be knotted, braided or made into crescents. You can brush them with milk and sprinkle with seeds or sea salt to make it extra fancy.

Excellent Any-Time Rolls

What you need:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 package yeast
Scant 2 cups lukewarm milk (be careful! If it is too hot it will kill the yeast)

1. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Rub or cut in butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs, then stir in the yeast.

2. Slowly mix in the milk.  Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface and knead for at least 5 minutes.

3.Place in a bowl covered with oiled plastic. Set aside in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes.

4. Turn out the dough onto your work surface, knead again. Divide into 12-16 pieces and shape your rolls.

5. Place rolls on a greased or parchment covered baking sheet. Glaze with milk and sprinkle with seeds or salt if you choose.

6. Leave to rise again while your oven comes to temperature. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Bake the rolls for 12 minutes. Eat as soon as possible :)