Refried Beans (or Bean Dip) - Instant Pot

Let me start off by saying that I typically do not soak my dry beans when cooking them in the Instant Pot. Why, you ask? 

When I first started using an Instant Pot four years ago, I wanted to test out the theory that dry beans don't need soaking before cooking in a pressure cooker. I have tested this so many times, I saw no need to soak ahead of time, because my time savings put the theoretical scale in favor of not soaking. And it seemed less fussy to deal with. 

When I needed to make bean dip for my daughter's graduation party, I decided to go ahead and pre-soak the pinto beans I was making, partly because they were going to be mashed up anyway. And also since I was making them for a crowd, I decided to soak them. It was also a good way to test out pre-soaking dry beans since I hadn't done it for awhile. I use the IP so much for beans, you could call it my Bean Pot! 

Refried Beans (or Bean Dip)

Pick through and rinse:

1 pound of pinto beans (or other beans of choice: black, kidney, red, etc.)

Soak with an adequate amount of water as the beans will double in size. I checked on my beans now and then and added water as needed. A good 8-12 hour soak should be good. Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Add fresh water to the beans in the Instant Pot inner pot, making sure the beans are covered. 

Then add the following to the beans and water:

1 Tablespoon oil (I used olive oil)

3/4 cup (more or less) chopped onion 

2 tablespoon minced garlic (maybe 4-5 cloves)

1 teaspoon mild chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon each - basil, oregano, cayenne pepper (any of these, or all, are optional)

1 teaspoon salt 

1 bay leaf (remove after cooking)

Cook everything together on pressure cook setting for 25 minutes* on the high setting. For easy work to mash later, I find that letting the beans come down naturally off of pressure is best. Remove bay leaf. When it was done, I just took a masher (like a potato masher) and mashed it right in the pot. Some beans can be left whole. 

Add: 

vegetable broth (as needed, if you need more liquid)

Beans will thicken as they cool and absorb more liquid, so having broth/stock handy is a great idea. Depending on how thin or thick you want the finished bean dish to be, you might be surprised at the amount of liquid they will absorb.

This is easily doubled in an 8 quart IP. It can even be tripled in a 10 quart IP, as I also have one and tested this myself. A 6 quart IP can easily accommodate the one pound recipe above. 

An immersion blender can be used, but I found no need with my potato masher. I have this Cutco potato masher in my kitchen with an old style handle. Tip: After using the masher, immediately rinse off your masher or immersion blender. You'll thank me later. 

 *You'll want to pressure cook for 35-40 minutes if not soaking the dry beans before cooking. Also make sure to add at least 6 cups of water for every pound of beans if not pre-soaking.

Optional: You can add a bell pepper to the cooking pot as well. (And/or a whole dried chili - remove before mashing the beans - chipotle maybe?) These additions can really give nice flavor! 

Kristen's Memorable Lasagna

This was given to me by my good friend, Kristen. She recited from memory, her favorite recipe for lasagna as I wrote it down. I will never forget her kindness to me. This is in a bit different format than I usually write my posts, but I think you'll understand that she was also one of a kind. I will never forget her.

Sauce: Combine: onion, chopped & sautéed

        carrots, thinly sliced (mandolin is optional)

        prepared tomato sauce

        garlic &/ onion powder, optional

Pasta: Boil one package of lasagna noodles, preferably gluten free, made from brown rice, until al dente, not too soft! 

Creamy Cashew Cheese: Make one batch of creamy cashew cheese, by blending in a high powered blender until smooth the following

1 cup cashews, fermented if you choose

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon garlic granules

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

Blend in a high powered blender until smooth.

Assemble in layers, a little bit of sauce on bottom of a 9”x13” pan, then the following:

1. 3 noodles

2. Sauce

3. Fresh spinach

4. Dollops of creamy cashew cheese 

5. Optional - vegan cheese

6. Repeat steps 1-5

7. Again, repeat steps 1-5

8. Repeat step 1 with the last 3 lasagna noodles 

9. Add the last of the sauce and any cashew cheese left. 

You can add any seasonings in the dish or as a topping before baking that you like. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let rest for a few minutes, before cutting, so it will stay together better. 

Apple Crisp with Gluten-Free Option

 This recipe is an old favorite we make for celebrations when we have family gatherings. It's simple and easy to make. My daughter, who does not take to cooking as much as my son did, will bake this. It's like an easy version of apple pie and can easily be made gluten free. We try to always keep apples in the house anyway. It is from a recipe in the old More with Less cookbook, which incidentally has many things to read, not just recipes! My mother used to make this, and it is a favorite of mine. This cookbook taught me many things when I learned to cook and I still base many of my favorites on it, with the vegan and somewhat healthier versions of their ingredients. This is my version. Enjoy!

Apple Crisp

Combine in a bowl, then put apple mix into an oiled baking square/round dish: 

4-5 cups peeled (*preferred) and sliced/chopped/diced organic apples

1 Tablespoon flour (whole wheat, spelt, etc.) OR gluten-free blend**

1/4 cup dry sweetener (evaporated cane juice/turbinado/date/coconut sugar)

1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon five spice powder/pumpkin pie spice/Ceylon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon water

--------------------------------

Combine oat topping separately in another bowl, into a crumb-like mixture: 

3/4 cup rolled oats (gluten-free if needed)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup dry sweetener (evaporated cane juice/turbinado/date/coconut sugar)

1 1/2 teaspoons (or equivalent 1/2 Tablespoon) molasses 

Put the oat topping mix onto the apple mix in the baking dish. Bake at 375℉ for about 30-35 minutes or until baked through and bubbly. 

* Keep the peels if you have organic apples and freeze them to put into smoothies! 

** For other gluten-free options, try tapioca starch, arrowroot or even potato starch. Or it can be a gluten-free flour blend of your choice.

Tomato-Free Boston Baked Beans & an Impromptu Family Visit

(We are in the month of April in 2024. I am back dating this for 2020, because the first time I cooked this was on April 7, 2020.)

I had just gotten an Instant Pot secondhand. My son helped me find one. Yes, I am slow to the party. I wanted to make sure it was worth me buying another kitchen small appliance. I told myself I need to try cooking with it in the first week, or I might never use it. It could have been another item sitting on a shelf. This was going to be different. So try, I did.

I knew I wanted to cook up dried beans, without soaking, just because. Although I still recommend soaking beans, draining and then cooking with fresh water, which is better for digestion, I find I just put it off and use canned beans many times. 

Enter the Instant Pot. From the get go, I have been impressed. Never before had I ever learned to cook with a manual pressure cooker. The Instant Pot, an electric pressure cooker (slow cooker, etc), takes a lot of the guesswork out of it. I have no memory of my mother ever using a pressure cooker when I was growing up. 

I made sure to get some cookbooks from the library so I could learn from others. One particular book, written by Britt Brandon, called "The 'I Love My Instant Pot' Vegan Recipe Book" is chock full of such great recipes, that I suggest you go out and buy it! 

The recipe in her book is titled, "Boston-Style Baked Beans". The first time I tried it, I thought it would add a little flavor, more than the usual plain water cooked beans I make. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised to taste a familiar flavor from my childhood. 

My mother used to make beans along with cornbread. Her variation I had growing up used ham/salt pork, but no tomatoes. The canned, dark, overly-sweet baked beans in the store, are not what I remember at all growing up, other than a camping menu item. This recipe uses liquid smoke that I have found helpful to get those comfort flavors again after going meat free years ago.

The following is my take on Britt Brandon's recipe. I always get compliments on these. Keep in mind, I almost always double/big batch things like this. I use primarily an 8 quart Instant Pot as I find it the most versatile and useful for larger recipes. I happen to have the Ultra IP version. Read the notes below the recipe for my ingredient notes. Enjoy! 

Tomato-Free Boston Baked Beans - Big Batch 

(Want less than a big batch? You can cut this in half. But why? Cold leftovers make a great raw veggie dip!)

In your Instant Pot metal inner pot, combine the following 6 ingredients: 

2 pounds (about 4 1/2 cups) white beans (such as navy, cannellini, or great northern)

9 cups water 

1 whole bay leaf

1 Tablespoon refined coconut oil (optional) 

2 teaspoons salt 

2 teaspoons liquid smoke (Wright's brand preferred) (OR smoked paprika if you don't have liquid smoke)

Set to "pressure cook" for 40 minutes on high. Let release naturally, but if you need to, you can quick release after 10 minutes, once cook time has completed. 

---------------------------------------------------------------

When the IP pressure has come down and you can open it again, set the IP to "sauté" and "less" or low. Then add the following ingredients and simmer without the lid for another 10 minutes or more to get the consistency you like. We like ours a little soupy, nice and soft. Stir often.*

1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 Tablespoons prepared mustard (OR 2 teaspoons dry mustard)

2 Tablespoons evaporated cane juice/turbinado sugar (or maple syrup)

2 teaspoons molasses

*Another method is to simply add everything in all at once and pressure cook for the first 40 minutes amount. Then only to thicken it, would you add any sauté time, making sure to stir often. 

Notes about a few of the ingredients:

Oil: You do not need to add any oil, and for a while, I didn't. Now I find a little makes it feel more like I remember. You can use what you like for oil if you decide to include it. 

Salt: The is one time that I don't use my own Seasoned Salt. It would introduce too many other flavor notes, already taken care of by the other ingredients. I wanted to have it fairly predictable with the familiar flavor I was looking for. I used Himalayan salt, but whatever salt you like is fine.

Liquid Smoke: I prefer Wright's brand as I find the ingredients to be natural with nothing added for color, or salt. I just want the smoke flavor and in a glass bottle, the way I prefer. I used hickory liquid smoke, but Wright's also makes a mesquite and applewood flavor. The Wright's hickory and mesquite are non-gmo. They are all gluten free, without added salt or soy or vinegar. 

Onion: I like a good red onion, but any would suffice. The original recipe called for a specific measuring cup amount. I find that I will use a whole onion, no matter what. If I need less at a time, I will use a smaller onion. Do what works for you. Red, yellow, or white onion are good (green/spring onion not so much). 

Mustard: Use whatever you have on hand. The last time I made these, I happened to have a prepared stone ground dijon mustard. 

Sweetener: Use what you have. I would steer away from honey as it would change the flavor too much. I usually use a dry sweetener as listed. Maple syrup works, but adds another flavor too, not as much as honey would though. 

Molasses: And this is why these are called Boston Baked Beans. The history of this recipe will tell you more about why it needs to have molasses. Check it out sometime. I use a run-of-the-mill, locally sourced molasses from my local bulk food store bottled in a pint jar. You may ask about Blackstrap, but this is not the time to use it, in my opinion. 

A memory for this recipe (I am publishing this in 2024, so the rest of this memory will make sense... 

Monday, April 8, 2024. Many of you will know that this date (4/8/2024) was the solar eclipse and many in our area had watch parties because we were in the area of totality across our state. The night before, my aunt and uncle from out of state, called to ask if my dad was willing to host them for one night so they could enjoy the eclipse from his property. The duration of the eclipse would start about 2 pm and end about 4:30pm, with the totality (darkness) from about 3:14-3:17 pm. They drove early in the morning to get here. They arrived about five minutes after 2 that Monday afternoon, because of the eclipse traffic (in this area, most schools called off for the day). We enjoyed the afternoon and evening chats with them as my dad is also our next door neighbor. We were glad to have a great day weather wise, to take it in together with them. We snapped photos of the eclipse and family selfie photos to remember our day by. 

I realized that although we had just gotten back from a trip that Sunday, we would need to make a supper plan. I really hadn't gotten much in the way of groceries just yet, but my son was here to help. He's a cook in his own right and he offered to help. He saw we had volunteer collard greens growing in my (not yet cleaned up) garden the previous year. He also suggested we pick a few dandelions for the meal. I was up for it. We pulled out the grill on our Breeo fire pit (we love this thing!). I had a Victoria cast iron wok that he pulled out and prepared. He cooked the collards with some onions, and seasoned them nicely. Then the (cleaned and washed) dandelions went in, simply made and gave a taste for everyone to try. We supplemented with some kale and spinach mix sautéed up. Red skinned potatoes were oiled, salted (Herbamare herbed salt) and wrapped in foil (one of the rare times I use foil) to be baked on the grill next to the cast iron wok. We brought out some extra seasonings if anyone wanted any. 

We had a feast! Earlier in the day, I put on this recipe of beans in the house, knowing we needed some for the coming week anyway - next time I would try cooking them over the fire! Let me tell you it was the best way to eat these beans and the day was perfect. We sat, talked and ate until sunset around 8 pm or later. 

An impromptu visit for my dad, his sister and brother-in-law, my aunt and uncle (a couple I always love to talk to and visit) .... turned out to be a great day. My daughter was home, my son pulled in right before they arrived and my husband came after his work day just in time to get our fire started and join us to make our supper outside. What a wonderful fireside meal to end the day of the solar eclipse... and lovely memories to remember. We even had two sunsets, both of which we spent outside in the nice 70℉ day. 

Simple Spice Cake - Oil Free

I've been involved with theater for the past few years and I had the privilege to portray Mrs. Frank for a production of The Diary of Anne Frank earlier this year. Because of my interest in food, I volunteered to make the food that was part of our onstage scenes. There's a scene for New Year's Day 1944 celebrating with spice cake. Historically The Diary of Anne Frank is one of many stories of Jews hiding during the holocaust, and it takes place in Amsterdam, Holland.

I loved spice cake when I was young and hadn't had any for years until I was looking for a recipe for this play. I hope you enjoy this simple version. It isn't overly sweet and I like it that way.

Spice Cake - Oil Free

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (185 degrees Celsius). Prepare a large loaf pan or a square  (8"x 8") cake pan using parchment paper to line pan.

Mix and set aside:
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed (dark preferred)
1/4 cup water

Mix in separate bowl and whisk to mix (using a small sieve to sift any lumps):
1 1/2 cup whole grain flour (can be whole wheat pastry flour)
1/3 cup turbinado sugar or 3 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon Chinese five spice OR pumpkin spice

Mix in a separate 2 cup liquid measuring cup the following:
1 cup applesauce (can be part pumpkin puree)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons dark molasses (not blackstrap, unless you prefer it)
ground flax seed & water as directed above - add here to liquids

Mix the wet into the dry ingredients. It should be a fairly stiff batter. Pour and spread into your prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes (less for cupcakes*) or more until toothpick inserted comes out clean. After removing from the oven, let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then remove and cool.

You may add a bit of grated carrot, zucchini, etc before baking. If batter seems too moist and not stiff, add some more flour, a little at a time, before you bake. Some people like dried fruit or nuts (I added chopped dates to the one in the photo above).

Note on the spices: I really like to use Chinese five spice for this, as it tends to have star anise flavor and is like taking the cake up a notch from the pumpkin spice most people are used to. I also prefer Chinese five spice that does not include pepper, which might be hard to find, but you can use the pepper versions too. I plan to post my own spice blend recipe for Chinese five spice soon. Most people have a ready made pumpkin spice that can be used, otherwise you can follow my recipe for that here.

Optional sauce topping: I have used a simple strawberry sauce as a topping sometimes. You can make this by pureeing fresh or partly thawed frozen strawberries in a blender with a little water and your choice of sweetener if needed. It is a nice addition. I originally used strawberries because we also ate strawberries in the play in another scene. I never used it this way onstage, but it was a fun thing to have for the cast party! =) You could use another fruit for the same idea. You may frost instead if you like after it cools. I like it plain without any extra anything on top.

*Cupcake tip: You can use canning lid rings (no lid) on a cookie sheet if you don't have a muffin pan. It holds cupcake papers/liners nicely for cake batter. This is what I do, since I don't own a muffin pan. This was how I made spice cake cupcakes for our concession stand for snacks at intermission for the play.

Tiger Nut Milk

We first tried tiger nuts when we lived in Ghana, West Africa. I would say the taste is reminiscent of a cashew, but much more fibrous and yet sweet, like a mild apple sweet. In Africa, we ate them much fresher and just like a nut, popped them into our mouth. I found them at a store from this company and picked them up. I was not disappointed. Since they were dried, I needed to rehydrate them with water. They are not actually nuts, but tubers that grow in the ground. Full of fiber and nutrition, they are also gluten free and safe for those who cannot have dairy.

Tiger Nut Milk

2 cups of dried tiger nuts soaked in a quart jar (or equivalent), filled to the 3 cup mark with water

Soak for about 3 days, draining the water, rinsing, and adding fresh water each day. I soaked mine in the refrigerator. Make sure your water is completely covering the tiger nuts plus about 1 inch, each time.

In a strong blender, blend the rinsed and drained soaked tiger nuts with water and fill up to about the 5 cup mark in blender. Run for about 3 minutes. Use a nut milk bag to filter the fiber-filled pulp from the liquid milk (Obviously, this will remove much of the fiber - If you want to use the fiber in baked goods, by all means go ahead). Use less water for thicker, creamier milk and more water to thin it, whatever you like. This ratio worked well for me as it was creamy, but not too rich.

Taste. You can use as is, or add whatever add-ins you like (sweetener, vanilla, etc.). I don't add anything preferring it's natural sweetness. Use up within about 2 days as it is best fresh and will turn quickly after that. Otherwise, you can try and freeze it in freezer safe containers, but the fresh consistency may not be the same.

Today I used it with my soaked rolled oats for a muesli type breakfast. Other things I added to my rolled oats: sliced fresh banana, sunflower and sesame seeds, chia, flax, bee pollen, goji berries and pumpkin seeds. So good!

A Date with Cacao Nibs & Nut Butter

Sometimes you just need something sweet and creamy and crunchy and chocolatey all at the same time. Enter the date (Medjool pictured), raw cacao nibs, and some peanut butter or almond butter (or cashew butter - oooooh, yum). Really everything you need for a delicious snack. 

Just short and sweet.

You're welcome. 

Homemade Matzah & The Feast of Unleavened Bread

We are in the season of the Feast of Unleavened bread. We had a lovely Passover Seder with friends of ours this past Shabbat. So in light of this season, I thought I would share a homemade matzah recipe, no matter how you spell it (matzo, etc).

To get a recipe for Apple Walnut Charoset, click here. 

 Whole Grain Matzah - Unleavened Bread

Move two oven racks to the top and near top positions. You will be baking these in the top 1/2 to 1/3 of your oven. Prepare cookie sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine in a bowl (or in a food processor):

3 cups whole grain flour (I used a combination of spelt, wheat, corn and einkorn flours, and a few whole seeds of millet, flax and sunflower)
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well (if using food processor, use "s" blade or dough blade on pulse setting until combined well). Add flour as needed to get a dough that isn't sticky, but not too dry. Divide into 12 pieces (or for the size above, they were more like 14-16 pieces per batch). Roll out, adding flour as needed, to keep from sticking. You can roll out extra thin for a more cracker-like type of matzah or you can roll a little thicker to get a softer and thicker matzah. After rolling, make sure to pierce with a fork or dough docker to keep the matzah from rising. Bake on prepared sheets for 6 minutes per side, for a total of 12 minutes baking time. (The size of matzah in the photo above is about a larger hamburger bun size that is flat, but not as thin as cracker type.)

Variations: I added basil and sun-dried tomatoes to one batch. My son added honey to another batch. He also added basil and oregano to a batch that we eventually made into small matzah pizzas last evening. I want to try adding some garlic next. You can come up with variations just by adding favorite seasonings or add in finely chopped fruits or vegetables.

Preparing the Seder and Apple Walnut Charoset

This is a mixture on the Passover Seder plate symbolizing the mortar used by Hebrew slaves in Egypt. You may use a mixture of different kinds of apples. I used only Gala apples this year and it was delicious. This is Ashkenazic style charoset (or haroset, depending on how you spell it). 

To get a homemade matzah recipe, click here.

Apple Walnut Charoset

Combine in a bowl:

3 large apples, cored and chopped
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped (black preferred, but English will work)
1/3 cup Concord grape juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
honey or maple syrup, optional - to taste

Cover and chill. This recipe may be prepared using a food processor on the pulse setting to desired consistency. I like mine a little more on the finely chopped side.

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

Fire Cider - Part 1

Today I was excited to receive a gift of horseradish! I know it might not be everyone's idea of a fun time, but I got chopping this evening to make something I have wanted to make for a long time - Fire Cider!

Looking up recipes, I found something very interesting about it's history. If you are curious about it all, you can go to freefirecider.com and read it for yourself. The recipe can be found here.

So you know, this recipe is not my own. Recipes for Fire Cider, and it's various names, abound on the internet. I have made something very close to Rosemary Gladstar's recipe, found above. You can even watch her talking about Fire Cider and making it here in this video.

I put my prepared ingredients (varies from the recipe above) into a gallon size jar. It will need about 4-6 weeks of wait time. I used the following organic ingredients:

Fire Cider

1 cup chopped fresh organic ginger root, do not peel

1 1/2 cup peeled, chopped fresh local organic horseradish root

2 medium organic onions, chopped

1 small organic fresh turmeric root, chopped (about 2 Tablespoons), do not peel

approximately 10 cloves of fresh organic garlic, chopped

2 organic chili peppers, chopped (your preference, cayenne is common)

1 organic whole lemon, chopped, with peel on

2 quarts organic raw apple cider vinegar

And this is what my batch looked like before I added the apple cider vinegar... 

...Then I added the vinegar to cover. I will be shaking it a bit every day or two. Part 2 will include what I will do when the Fire Cider is done, around the 4-6 week mark. It will involve straining the mixture and adding honey for a sweeter and more palatable taste. 

I can't wait because it's both a great food and remedy. I know my sinuses feel better when I use this! Goodbye, colds!  =) And the taste is delicious!

Read about Part 2 here! 

Easy Buffalo Cauliflower (The Lazy Way!)

It's cooling down where I live. Seasons will be changing once more. I always crave warmer foods at this time especially. One thing you might enjoy is this recipe for a lazy way to make Buffalo Cauliflower (vegetarian "wings"). It's easy because there is no breading involved. Enjoy!


Easy Buffalo Cauliflower

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Step one-Cauliflower:

2 good-sized heads of cauliflower, cut up into flowerettes, not to big, not too tiny

When preheated, bake cauliflower pieces spread out on 2 baking pans, lined with parchment paper (use pans that have 4 sides for containing liquid - these are called jelly roll pans, or cake pans, or 9x13 pans) for about 20-30 minutes until browned slightly on the edges. Please watch carefully.

Step two-Buffalo Sauce:

While the cauliflower is in the oven for step one, combine separately, in a bowl large enough to contain the cauliflower and sauce (with room to stir well):

3/4 cup, or less, hot sauce (homemade/store bought)- like Frank's Red Hot (has peppers & garlic)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon granulated dried garlic (or more)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional, but tasty)

Step three-Combine:

Place partially baked cauliflower in the bowl with sauce. Stir well to coat evenly. Using the same baking pans, divide the cauliflower again to evenly put onto the 2 pans. Bake another 10-15 minutes or so, until heated through.

Things that go well with this dish:
Celery sticks
Lisa's Raw Ranch Dressing
or
Creamy Salad Dressing with the Ranch options

You can always use this "Easy Buffalo" sauce for other vegetables besides cauliflower too! Comment if you tried this for another vegetable with tasty results! =)

Spicy Peanut-Free Sauce for Tofu, Pasta or Potatoes

This is a sauce recipe that I've used for quite a few meals. Mostly I've used it for a pasta and tofu dish similar to a much loved dish Pad Thai.

This makes a peanut-free version using almonds. But I have sometimes been short of the amount of almonds I need, so the recipe below shows the variation I used today. You can use mostly almonds and then make up the difference with other nuts or seeds. No big deal.

(By all means, if you use peanuts/peanut butter in your home, feel free to go ahead and use that instead. The recipe will still be delicious. Whatever nut or seed butter you use, please use unsalted varieties without other added ingredients. I like using whole nuts and seeds for a fresh, more raw sauce.)

If you have some tofu, bell pepper, some pasta, maybe some snow peas, you can make a great meal with this. The tofu can be cubed, then baked or broiled.

This recipe makes enough to dress a pound of pasta with veggies, etc on the side.

Spicy Peanut-Free Sauce

2/3 cup whole raw almonds OR 1/3 cup almond butter, unsalted (or other nut/seed butter)      
(I used a combination of almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds)
2 Tablespoons brown rice syrup (or 1 1/2 Tablespoon maple syrup)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce (can be soy-free with coconut aminos instead)
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar (can use apple cider vinegar)
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 Tablespoon tahini or sesame seeds
1 fresh garlic clove or 1/2 teaspoon dried granulated garlic
1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon chili paste (or a mildly spicy curry paste) OR 1/4 teaspoon or less crushed red pepper
2 Tablespoons water, pasta water or vegetable broth

Throw this all into a good blender. Blend until smooth, only takes a couple of minutes. After you take this out of the blender, place the sauce into a bowl, then rinse the blender with about 1/4 cup of water and add it to the sauce. Don't forget this step! Otherwise it will be way too salty and extra thick. Mix together in bowl. Now it's ready to add to a pasta or potatoes or just about anything. You can even use it as a dip. This may taste a little salty on its own, but after you put it on pasta, etc, it should even out.
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Summer Vegetable Bake - Ratatouille Style

Summer Vegetable Bake - Ratatouille Style

Place in a baking pan, the following puree, made with a blender:

1 onion, in quarters
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, in pieces
2 garlic cloves
3 cups of chopped tomatoes (canned ok)
salt/seasoned salt (as desired)
pinch of red pepper
black pepper (optional, as desired)
basil, fresh or dried (as desired)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. After puree is made and placed in baking pan, layer on top the following in a decorative pattern:

 4-5 medium tomatoes, sliced
1-2 zucchini, sliced
1-2 yellow summer squash
1 eggplant, sliced (optional, not pictured)

Bake for 2 hours covered, then uncover and bake another 30 minutes. Adjust temperature and times as needed.

Yummy Popcorn

When invited somewhere and asked to bring a snack to contribute to a table for an informal evening, I often bring popcorn. After a friend showed me a recipe from a Bragg's bottle of apple cider vinegar, I knew I had to try it at home. Whether you pop your popcorn in a kettle on the stove or air pop, this is a good way to enjoy!

Yummy Popcorn

Start with popped popcorn, then add in amounts as desired:

melted coconut oil (unless you popped on stovetop)
soy sauce (Liquid Aminos, coconut aminos, Nama Shoyu, etc.)
apple cider vinegar or brown rice vinegar
nutritional yeast
seasoned salt or other salted/no-salt blend you like
mustard powder
garlic, fresh crushed and minced or dried
cayenne pepper

Other optional add-ins:
curry powder
basil
oregano
parsley

Sweet Garlic Soy Sauce

I cannot take credit for this. I have had this recipe for a long time and do not know where it came from. If anyone knows of the original inventor of this recipe, please let me know. It is so good!

Sweet Garlic Soy Sauce

Whisk together in a small saucepan:
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1/4 cup water

Then add:
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup shiitake mushroom broth* or water

Put on stove to heat until boiling, keeping a close watch. Then simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture thickens.

Stir in:
1 clove garlic, crushed first, then minced

Turn off heat and let thicken further. Serve any temperature. Can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator in a glass jar. Goes well with nori rolls and spring rolls.

*Note: I routinely rehydrate shiitake mushrooms when I make spring rolls or nori rolls, so I often have this broth freshly made. One time I decided to use it for this and it added so much flavor that I kept it in the recipe.

Red Red from Ghana (Black-Eyed Peas with Plantains)

I have so many foods I miss from Ghana. It's hard to believe we've been back for almost 6 1/2 years now. This meal took us right back. My husband loved this meal and it was his usual lunch on school days. It was easily his favorite and most frequent meal in Ghana.

Named "Red Red" for a couple of reasons. When we asked why it was named this way in Ghana, they would tell us that the ripe plantains are called red and from the red palm oil. When I was checking on the name online, I came up with many recipes that included tomatoes in them. Since we don't recall tomatoes being part of the dish we remember, I opted to go middle road with some tomato paste for flavor. Tomato paste is used very frequently in Ghana. Also, traditionally the plantains are unhealthily deep fried. We opted to bake them, and didn't notice much of a difference. They were perfectly sweet and soft on their own, to compliment the beans.

There are a couple of ingredients in this meal that made it difficult to make this meal authentic until recently when we found some gari, made from cassava. One other ingredient was the red palm oil, harvested from palm oil trees.

My husband says it's a keeper. We all loved it. Enjoy!

Red Red (Black-Eyed Peas with Plantains) 

In a large skillet, heat:
1/4 cup red palm oil

Add and cook until soft:
2 medium onions, sliced
1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped (optional, but lends an authentic flavor)
5 cloves garlic, pressed and chopped

Add and let cook for a couple of minutes:
1 teaspoon curry powder
red pepper (to taste, or use the chili and onion condiment below)
1 Tablespoons tomato paste
salt to taste

Finally add, and let simmer:
4-6 cups cooked black-eyed peas (save the cooking liquid)
(This is about what you get when you cook up 1 pound dry beans)
bean cooking water for thinning the stew to almost soupy

Meanwhile, prepare the baked plantains:

6-8 very ripe (preferably at least 1/2 black/yellow) plantains, washed, peeled, cut into about 1 inch sections

Arrange the peeled and sliced ripe plantains on a baking sheet in single layer.
Bake at 350 F until done (softened), about 30-45 minutes.

Serve up the Red Red with some slices of baked plantain. Making sure there is liquid for the gari to sprinkle on and soak up, enjoy as a meal.

Optional:
Process fresh red chili pepper in a mortar and pestle, adding some salt. Stir in some thinly sliced red onion (more typical in Ghana, but you may use any kind of onion for this). Put on the table to serve alongside as a condiment.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

I always think of pumpkin recipes at this time of year. Many times you will need to have this spice mix on hand, especially if you are making a sweet dessert. Recently I used this to make pumpkin ice cream!

Pumpkin Pie Spice

6 Tablespoons ground Cinnamon (Ceylon preferred) 
2 Tablespoons ground Ginger
1 Tablespoon ground Allspice
2 teaspoons ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground Nutmeg

Mix together and store in a airtight container. Label and date. Use whenever pumpkin pie spice is called for in recipes.

Flax or Chia "Egg"

I've been using this substitute for eggs when I make my Baked Oatmeal recipe and haven't ever really posted it.

For each egg needed:

Mix together:
1 Tablespoon of ground chia seeds or ground flax seeds (light or dark)
3 Tablespoons of water

Allow mixture to thicken for about 5-15 minutes. Proceed with recipe as usual.

This can be used in other baking applications as well. I have also used flax or chia seeds in my morning smoothies for thickness and overall good nutrition.