Fire Cider - Part 2

You can read Part 1 here.

I waited six weeks to strain my Fire Cider. I guess because I wanted it good and strong!

Before and after...

October 10, 2017 - Day one

November 28, 2017 - Six weeks later

I had another gallon jar to put my strainer bag in so I could transfer it all over.

I squeezed out as much as I could from the strainer bag. The next photo shows the bulk of vegetables I had after six weeks.

And here is the unsweetened amount of liquid I got today below. The straight Fire Cider, to which I added honey to taste. I would've used maple syrup, but I am out at present. Honey is a good soother when dealing with sickness. 

These are quart jars. After I added honey, I netted about 2 ¾ quarts total of Fire Cider. The leftover strained vegetables are in my freezer, because I figure it can give good flavor to other recipes. Today we used some in a dressing to add some zing to a cabbage and zucchini slaw we made for lunch. I can add them straight from the freezer/partially thawed to blended salad dressings, hummus and other sauces and blended soups to add flavor. Nothing goes to waste if I can help it! 

Freezing the vegetables for other uses. 

So that is how things turned out. Now I am officially ready for the cold season that is now upon us. This week ends in December, so none too soon. I hope you stay warm this season. If not, make a little Fire Cider for your own house! Just an ounce or two will do, every day.  Enjoy!

Main Dish Sauté - Thanksgiving 2017

This is what we enjoyed today as a main dish for our Thanksgiving meal. Everyone really liked it. I'm sorry to say I don't have exact measurements to give you, but I will try my best to tell you what went into the dish. This is one of those check-the-pantry-and-see-what-you-end-up-with dishes. Turned out wonderfully!

Thanksgiving Main Dish Sauté

Mix the following together in a bowl: 

about 2 cups cooked Kidney Beans, rinsed & drained, mashed some (or another dark bean)

1 can young Jackfruit in salty brine, drained & mashed

about 10 dried Shiitake Mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water, drained & chopped                  

    (save broth from soaking mushrooms for this recipe later)

about 10 halves Sun-Dried Tomatoes, rehydrated in hot water, drained & chopped

about 1/4 cup Gari (fermented cassava root, dried & granulated), or 1/4 cup rolled oats

about 1 Tablespoon Tamari/Soy Sauce 

1 teaspoon Porcini Mushroom powder (can be optional)

about 2 Tablespoons Dried Minced Onion

2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or similar)

2 cloves garlic, minced
(about 1/2 teaspoon sage would be lovely here, but I was out! )

Add in as much broth from the shiitake mushrooms as you need to make it somewhat dry, but still moist, as if you could make burgers/patties from it. If it's too dry, use a vegetable broth or water (be careful not to make this dish too salty). If it's too wet, opt to use more oats (or even breadcrumbs if not gluten free, or another starchy food that soaks up liquid). 

To a large skillet, add coconut oil, on medium heat. Add in garlic, minced. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the bean mixture to the pan and heat through, turning frequently, about 10 minutes until hot. 

Since we ate this a few hours later, I let the mixture cool and then put it into a loaf pan and refrigerated it until we went to my parent's home. I then reheated it in their oven while other things were baking. I didn't try to get it out in one loaf. Instead we spooned it onto our plates from the baking pan. 

Our menu for today's meal:

Vegan Main Dish Sauté (recipe above)

Homegrown creamed corn, baked

Shelled edamame 

Roasted garlic (one whole bulb per person!)

Roasted Roots (potatoes, onions, carrots), my chef son's specialty dish

Pumpkin spice cake with black walnuts