Smoothie and Soup Enhancers

I have an abundance of greens in my garden, but summer is right around the corner and my greens are quickly flowering due to the increased temperature. There are only so many greens that I can eat in one day, so I grind them up with a little water with my immersion blender and freeze them in ice cube trays. I have found that finely chopping my greens and freezing them this way takes up much less space than freezing whole leaves. I add these cubes of greens to smoothies, soups, pot roast, and other dishes for an extra injection of flavor and vitamins.

I have three different bags in my freezer. The first bag is for milder greens that can be eaten raw with smoothies. The second bag is for more zesty greens that are best eaten in cooked dishes like soups and stews. The third bag is for in between greens that can be eaten either way.

The first smoothie bag contains:

Lettuce, spinach, fennel fonds, broccoli raab leaves

The second soup bag contains:

Mustard, purple kale, arugula, broccoli leaves

The third bag that can be used either way contains:

Kale

I use an ice cube tray that makes ice cubes that are 2 tbsp in size. This makes a convenient way of measuring out the greens needed for a recipe. This frugal method of preserving greens is quick and easy. Once you starting making your own green cubes, you will discover tons of uses for them. You can even sneak these green cubes in dishes for picky eaters. Dr. Lazy Palate hates anything green, so this recipe is a bust for him, but there are times when he will eat a dish with one of these cubes in it without noticing. I just tell him that the little specks of green are herbs.

Ingredients (makes about six 2 tbsp size cubes)

• 2 cups of greens
• 3 tbsp water

Directions

1. Place the greens and water in a blender, food processor, or in a wide mouth jar for an immersion blender.

2        2.    Finely chop the greens with your choice appliance.
            3. . Fill the ice cube tray with greens. Add any excess water to the green filled cubes. Adding the excess water will allow you to remove the green cubes easier from the ice cube tray.
      4. Freeze over night.
      5. Remove the green cubes from the ice cube tray and move to an air tight container in the freezer or toss in any smoothie, soup, pot roast, or other dish that you want to add extra flavor and vitamins to.

Posted on Simple Lives Thursday and Full Plate Thursday

Canning Rhubarb Nectar

I love sour foods. When I was younger, I would eat War Heads® for the sour coating and spit out the rest of the sweet candy. I would also eat lemons just like most people would oranges. However, I was not properly introduced to rhubarb until I moved to the Midwest where rhubarb grows in abundance. I love this beautiful tart vegetable that bears a resemblance to celery.

One word of caution about rhubarb, do not eat the leaves. They are poisonous. Do not put them in your scrap bag to make soup broth. Throw them in the compost pile or you can try making this rhubarb leaf insecticide found here. I have never tried the insecticide, but it might be worth a shot.

This year I decided to make rhubarb nectar inspired by a flickr® album photo. The user, Green Wellies, gave a brief description on how she made her rhubarb nectar. I played around with the recipe and came up with my own version of using Meyer lemons, oranges, and rhubarb. In the original recipe, the lemons and oranges were just roughly chopped and boiled with the rhubarb but I found that the white part of the rind made the nectar bitter, so I zested the lemons and oranges and added the lemon and orange juice to the rhubarb. This eliminated the bitterness.

This sour drink can be used as a lemonade substitute or added to yogurt for flavoring.

Ingredients (makes about 3 pints)

• 2 Meyer lemons
• 2 oranges
• 4 stalks rhubarb
• ½ cup honey

Directions

1.     Zest the lemons and oranges. Juice the lemons and oranges.

2.     Place the zest, fruit juice, and rhubarb to a pot.

3.     Add enough water to barely cover the rhubarb.

4.     Boil the rhubarb on medium high heat until the rhubarb is very soft and falling apart when picked up with a spoon, about 30 minutes.

5.     Strain the rhubarb and zest.

6.     Place the rhubarb nectar back in the pot and add the honey.

7.     Bring the nectar to a boil

8.     Place the rhubarb nectar is hot, sterile jars leaving ¼” headspace.

9.     Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.

10.  To serve, use 1 part nectar to 4 parts water.

Posted on Simple Lives Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Seasonal Recipe Round Up

Hummus Sandwich and Local Wednesday

I have greens over flowing in my garden. I have everything from lettuce, kale, spinach, Asian greens, arugula, and mustard growing this year. It seems like all my seeds germinated this year. Salads can get a bit boring so I have been trying to eat the greens from my garden in more creative ways, so I started stacking hummus sandwiches full with greens. I have also been experimenting with herbs from my garden on the sandwich.

I love the versatility of this hummus sandwich. You can eat it with any combination of greens from your garden. In the sandwich pictured above I wanted to show off the different colors and texture of lettuce and mustard that I grow. I make a large batch of hummus at the beginning of the week and enjoy hummus sandwiches all week. I usually work with dried beans, but with these sandwiches I have been taking the easy way out and using canned beans. During hot summer months I do not feel like turning on my stove to boil beans. Perhaps I should pressure can some beans later in the season.

While I love this sandwich for all of it wonderful flavors, Dr. Lazy Palate is not a fan. He hates greens even if they are fresh from the garden. He will admire the various colors and textures out in the garden. He will even ask me what all the greens are growing out in the garden, but he will not eat a single green leaf. He will not even entertain the idea of trying even a mild lettuce. He also hates hummus and black olives, so this sandwich is not his style.

Ingredients for the hummus modified from my spinach hummus (makes enough for about 4 sandwiches)

• 15 ounces caned garbanzo beans, drained
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients and blend.
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ingredients for hummus sandwich (makes 1)

• 1 pita bread
• 2 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tbsp hummus (recipe above)
• 20 lettuce, mustard, kale, spinach, or arugula leaves (I used a combination of lettuce and mustard)
• 2 black Kalamata stuffed olives, sliced
• 1 tsp feta cheese, crumbled
• 5 Greek oregano leaves, finely chopped
• 5 thyme leaves (I used lemon thyme)
• 1 tsp Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Brush 1/2 tsp of olive oil on one side of the pita bread.
2. Place the pita bread oil side down on a warm flat pan. Cook until some brown spots appear on the pita bread and the bread is warm to the touch.
3. Spread the hummus on the sandwich on the non oiled side.
4. Arrange the lettuce on top of the hummus.
5. Sprinkle the olives, feta, oregano, and thyme leaves on top of the sandwich.
6. Drizzle the remaining olive oil on the sandwich.
7. Drizzle the Greek yogurt on the sandwich.
8. Enjoy!

What have you made with local ingredients this week?

Posted on Simple Lives Thursday

Canning Honey Sweetened Strawberry Limeade and Strawberry Lemonade

We picked 38 lbs of strawberries this weekend. I love strawberry season. Locally strawberry season marks the beginning of warm weather that is here to stay. Thirty eight pounds of strawberries took us an hour and half to pick with two young kids which is not bad. The downside to strawberries is that you have to process them very quickly because they can spoil quickly. After we pick strawberries we come home and start processing them as soon as possible. We trim the nicest looking berries for freezing first then we starting chopping berries for pie and jam. The least attractive berries become syrup for pancakes and juice.

This year we made strawberry lemonade concentrate and strawberry limeade concentrate. Dr. Lazy Plate is a big fan of strawberry lemonade so he is very excited about this new addition to our canning pantry this year. I am excited about the strawberry limeade concentrate. I seem to crave strawberries a few weeks before they actually come in season so this will help to tide me over until fresh berries are available locally.

I used honey to sweeten the juice concentrates for canning. I used about ¼ cup more honey for the strawberry lemonade concentrate than the strawberry limeade concentrate since Dr. Lazy Palate likes things sweeter than I do. You can adjust the sweetness level to your taste. To serve this concentrate, make a 1:1 solution of juice concentrate to water.

Ingredients (makes approximately 3 ½ pints)

• 4 cups strawberries, hulls removed
• water
• 1 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
• ¼-1/2 cup honey

Special equipment

Strainer (fine mesh strainer or strainer with a coffee filter)

Canning equipment

Directions

1.       Place the strawberries in a large pot. Add enough water to just barely cover the strawberries.

2.       Boil the strawberries for 5 minutes or until the strawberries turn from red to pale pink.

3.       Strain the berries out of the juice with a fine mesh strainer or a strainer lined with a coffee filter.

4.       Add the berry juice and lemon/lime juice to a large pot.

5.       Add the honey. When adding the honey start off with a smaller amount and taste your juice before adding more keeping in mind that you are tasting concentrate.

6.       Bring the concentrate to a boil.

7.       Add the juice to hot, sterile jars leaving ¼” headspace.

8.       Place lids that have been simmering in hot water on the jars. Screw on the second part of lid.

9.       Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Posted on Simple Lives Thursday

Cowboy Cut Rib Eye Stuffed with Blue Cheese and Local Wednesday

Dr. Lazy Palate went all out on mother’s day this year. He picked up a delicious creamy blue cheese at the farmers market from Traders Point Creamery. Dr. Lazy Palate is not a big fan of stinky cheeses. He likes his cheeses light and creamy, so I was shocked when he liked this blue cheese. The owner of Traders Point convinced him to try this blue cheese since he also likes light and creamy cheeses. He pleaded with Dr. Lazy Palate telling him that he has the same cheese palate but likes this blue cheese. Dr. Lazy Palate did like this blue cheese. Dr. Lazy Palate says the cheese is, “rich, creamy, and not too stinky.” I love the creamy texture of the blue cheese which is unusual in a blue cheese.

After the farmers market, Dr. Lazy Palate went to his favorite butcher and picked up a two pound bone in cow boy cut rib eye (his favorite cut of beef). Dr. Lazy Palate decided to make a rib eye stuffed with blue cheese for me for mother’s day.  He did not season the beef to let the blue cheese shine in this simple yet delicious recipe. One of the tricks to make this steak perfect is to start with the steak at room temperature.

Dr. Lazy Palate started off by searing the meat on both sides at a high temperature on the grill. Then he butterflied the rib eye and seared the inside of the meat since this was a very thick cut of meat and I like my steak medium. Then, he made some incisions inside the butterflied part of the steak to stuff the cheese inside. Next, he cooked the stuffed steak on low heat until the cheese was almost melted. You do not want to let the cheese completely melt because it will drip all over the grill. Finally, he let the meat set at room temperature covered to let the juices absorb back into the meat and let the cheese melt completely.

This was the best steak that I have ever eaten. I am not a big steak fan, but this steak was cooked to perfection. The cheese stuffed inside the steak complimented the meat perfectly. I liked the sharp taste of the cheese and the juicy beef. Even Dr. Lazy Palate said the cheese sauce was amazing. This huge cut of meat fed our entire family of four.  Both kids loved the steak. Miss Bubbles had three servings of this steak. I found myself dipping my steak in the cheese sauce that dripped out of the steak during cutting.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 lbs bone in cow boy cut rib eye, room temperature
• 6 ounces blue cheese

Directions

1.       Heat the grill to 550-600 degrees F. You want a nice high temperature to sear the meat quickly.

2.       Sear each side of the meat for 7-8 minutes (sear it a little longer if you want it cooked more than medium or a little less if you want your steak more raw)

3.       Butterfly the steak by slicing the steak in half starting with the opposite end of the bone. Cut down the middle towards the bone. The steak should still be held together on the bone end.

4.       Sear the inside of the steak for 5-6 minutes (cook the meat a  little longer if you want your steak cooked more than medium or a little less if you want your steak more raw).

5.       Cut perpendicular lines (cut against the grain of the steak) ¼” deep inside the butterflied portion of the steak. Stuff the blue cheese inside the incisions. Close the steak so the meat sandwiches the blue cheese in the middle.

6.       Turn the temperature of the grill down to 325 degrees F.

7.       Cook the meat for 4 minutes or until the cheese is almost melted. Do not let the cheese completely melt on the grill because the cheese will spill out.

8.       Let the steak rest covered at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting.

9.       Enjoy with corn of the cob, a glass of dry red wine, and a piece of crusty bread.

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Posted on High School Graduation Party, Simple Lives Thursday, Full Plate Thursday

Butter Bell® Crocks

Corn season is coming up, and there is no better way to enjoy grilled corn than with butter lathered all over the golden kernels. However, I hate using my cold stick butter on my grilled corn because it is hard to spread all over the corn without melting every where and making a mess. This is where the Butter Bell® Crock would come in handy.

Unlike other room temperature butter storage devices, this crock does not use additional oil to keep the butter at room temperature allowing you to preserve the classic butter flavor that everyone loves. The Butter Bell® crock holds 1 stick of butter making it the perfect size for buttering toast, English muffins, or bagels. As an added bonus, the Butter Bell® is dishwasher safe.

Right now Butter Bell® is offering a special deal. If you buy two Butter Bell® crocks, then you will get one free! The Butter Bell® would make a wonderful addition to your picnic table at  a forth of July party or as a gift under the Christmas tree.

So stop on by the Butter Bell® web-site and check out their beautiful selection of butter crocks and recipes.

This sponsorship is brought to you by The Butter Bell® crock who we have partnered with us for this promotion.

Local Wednesday Blog Carnival May 9, 2012

This week I am starting a new blog carnival called Local Wednesday. Come link up anything that uses local ingredients or materials. You can link up a recipe, show off your garden, teach use how to make a wreath using tree branches, or anything else that you dream up. Show me what makes your local area special!

Today I am showing off my garden. This is garden bed #1 filled with garlic, chard, broccoli, melons, cucumbers, sweet peas, kale, mustard, lettuce, spinach, marigolds, arugula, fennel, carrots, anise hyssop, green onions, ground cherries, Asian greens, and tomatillos. I have been busy busy eating salad and starting stir fry bags for the winter time. I am anxious for my sweet peas to bloom. I look forward to this summer when I the tomatillos will produce lots of little fruit.

What have you been doing with local items?

Please link back to this post if you decide to add a link. Also, please spread the word about this new link up.

Posted on Simple Lives Thursday

Crunchy Sinkerdoodles without Cream of Tartar

Little BBQ is playing soccer this year, and every family swaps off taking a snack for the kids after the game. I wanted to do something special for the kids and make them some homemade cookies. I did not want any chocolate chips or candy that can melt in the cookies, so I opted for snickerdoodles. A lot of snickerdoodle recipes are made with a cinnamon sugar crust on top that is delicious, but I opted to mix the cinnamon in the cookie since most kids eat the cookies in the car after the game. I figured that the cinnamon sugar topping would cause lots of crumbs and make a big mess.

Additionally, most snickledoodle cookie recipes call for cream of tartar which I did not have on hand so I searched the internet for a snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar. According to pastry chef Shuna Fish Lydon of Eggbeater, cornstarch is the secret ingredient to excellent snickerdoodles. She states, “cornstarch absorbs moisture, binds the dough like flour but has no gluten.” Gluten is a protein that gives elasticity to breads and sometimes makes cookies tough. In this recipe, the cornstarch works beautifully to make a nice crunchy but not tough cookie. These cookies spread a lot so give them lots of room on your cookie sheet.

I toasted my cinnamon increase the flavor and fragrance of the cinnamon since cinnamon plays the starring role in these cookies. You can also buy “roasted” cinnamon at the grocery store for a heightened cinnamon experience. I highly recommend toasting your cinnamon first if you want a scrumptious cinnamon experience.

At the soccer game, I got no complaints except for one child who told me that she did not like cookies and wanted me to make her a muffin instead. Maybe next time I will make muffins for after the soccer game! My kids loved these cookies, and I loved the scent of these cookies. They made my kitchen smell wonderful.

Ingredients (makes about 18 cookies) modified from Shuna Fish Lydon

• 2 tbsp cinnamon, ground
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions

1. If using unroasted cinnamon, add the cinnamon to a dry pan. Slowly heat the cinnamon on low heat until the cinnamon becomes very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Quickly remove the cinnamon from the heat because cinnamon burns burns easily. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Beat the butter, sugars, and salt together in a small bowl. (I used a hand mixer for this step)
4. Add the egg and beat until a homologous batter forms.
5. Slowly fold in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and cinnamon to form a dough.
6. Place 1" balls of dough on a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Allow plenty of room for the cookies to spread.
7. Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
8. Store the cookies in an air tight container and eat within a few days.

Healthy Whole Wheat Sugar Free Ginger Rhubarb Muffins

I am trying to get better about soaking my grains, but it takes some planning so I can’t do any spur of the moment baking. Slowing down the baking process is good because it makes me really think about what I want to bake and the flavor combinations that I want to use. Ginger and rhubarb are not two things that I would normally put together, but after thinking about for a while I decided that I would really enjoy the flavor combination of ginger and rhubarb together.

The ginger rhubarb muffins came out spicy, sweet, and with nice patches of sour rhubarb spread throughout the muffin. I cut the rhubarb up finely so I would not get huge pockets of sour rhubarb. I used honey as my sweetener for this recipe, so the muffins did not come out as sweet as muffins using white sugar, but they were still delicious. The ginger added a nice fresh spicy quality to the muffins. Miss Bubbles ate three of the muffins while I was trying to take the picture for this blog post, so she is a huge fan. I found myself having to ration out these muffins to her so would not eat them all in one sitting.

Ingredients (makes 18 medium size muffins)

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup cultured buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup flax seed, ground
• ¼ cup honey bee pollen
• 1/4” piece of ginger root, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup honey
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 eggs
• 1 lb rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/8” pieces (this produces about 3 ½ cups)
• 18 paper liners
• Muffin tin, medium size

Directions

1.       Mix the flour and buttermilk in a medium size bowl.  Let the mixture soak over night in a warm place.

2.       Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

3.       Mix the flour/buttermilk mixture with the vanilla, salt, baking powder, flax, honey bee pollen, ginger root, honey, applesauce, eggs, and rhubarb. Stir well.

4.       Place the paper liners in the muffin tin.

5.       Ladle the muffin batter into the paper lined muffin tin filling each hole 3/4 full.

6.       Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes on the center rack or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffins comes out clean.

Posted on Seasonal Recipe Round Up