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Greens and Meal Planning Observations

dinner

As I mentioned earlier this week, I’ve planned out my meals for the week.  So far so good, though I had to replace soaked oatmeal for breakfast yesterday with a fried egg and sourdough toast with jam.  I spaced the night before and thought I didn’t have any milk or yogurt, but I did.  Oh well, the egg and toast were tasty!

One problem I’ve had lately has been incorporating enough vegetables into my diet, so I included them in the meal plan.  Since it’s spring, asparagus is in season, so I’ve had that a couple times already – once with quinoa and once simply roasted with olive oil and salt.  So good, especially this time of year (I rarely eat it out of season).

I also cooked up a couple bunches of organic swiss chard – when I am running, as I’ve started doing again, I often crave dark leafy greens.  Not sure why, but I do.  I just love them.  I’ll have them for lunch and dinner throughout the week.

I am convinced that if I hadn’t planned it all out, I would not have eaten those vegetables, and they would slowly rot in my fridge.  Not good.

I love to cook and explore new recipes, but I have to be careful about not tiring out in the evenings after work, especially now that I’m running and exerting a lot more.  So, a lot of the time I tend to fall back on just cooking, not following a recipe (however, I have reserved one evening this week to devote to something more elaborate).  I put together things that taste good together, using cooking techniques I’m comfortable with (sauteeing, boiling, roasting, etc.). This week that manifested itself into the following meals:

Meal 1
red quinoa with white onions, asparagus, and walnuts
sauteed chard with garlic and lemon
cubed cheddar cheese

Meal 2
roasted asparagus
cheese omelette

green collage

Both meals are easy to make and allow for some improvisation.  They contain, real, whole foods in season, with plenty of green veggies to counteract my recent habit of not eating many.  I also cooked the quinoa with the chicken broth I made on Sunday, making the dish even more nourishing.

Although both meals contain pretty straightforward dishes (you can pretty much figure out how to make them from their description), one tip I’ll pass on has to do with the garlic lemon chard – get rid of the excess liquid created by the chard after it wilts.  All that liquid dilutes the yummy garlic and lemon flavors.  Here’s the full recipe:

Garlic Lemon Greens

1 bunch greens (spinach is best, but chard and kale work, too)
1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
1 lemon and its zest
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Cut off the stems and wash the greens to get rid of any dirt. Check over the washed greens for any discolored leaves and remove them. Chop into big pieces.

Add olive oil to a hot skillet. Add garlic then a little salt, and saute for about 30 seconds.

Add the chopped greens and immediately rotate them. Add a little salt. When they have started to wilt, add lemon zest and red pepper flakes. Continue to rotate the greens until they are quite wilted.

Dump entire contents of the pan into a sieve. Press the greens down to dispose of as much extra liquid as possible. Return greens to the pan.

Add juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon (depending on how lemony you like your greens) and mix with the greens. Drizzle another tsp of olive oil over the greens. Serve immediately.

This post is participating in Real Food Wednesday, hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

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Freekeh Pilaf

bowl of freekeh pilaf

I had the opportunity to order through my CSA a couple of unusual and interesting whole grains:  freekeh and farro (aka emmer wheat).  Now, farro I was familiar with, but freekeh was a little bit of a mystery. I was definitely intrigued; they arrived a few weeks ago.

Turns out, freekeh is a pretty amazing grain.  It’s known throughout the Arab world as farik, and has been around for a long time – it was recorded in an 13th century cookbook as farikiyya.  Freekeh is young wheat or spelt that is roasted or smoked just before it reaches maturity.   It looks a little like brown rice but bigger, though some say it looks like large green bulgur.

soaked freekeh grains

It is high in minerals, vitamins, and protein than many other whole grains, and four times the fiber of brown rice.  It’s also very, very low in gluten, as it is harvested before it starts to develop.

I wanted to come up with something to do with these grains.  With grains, I do three different things with them:  I soak, sprout, and ferment them.  I chose to soak the freekeh with a little bit of acid; I used raw apple cider vinegar, but lemon juice would do just fine.  The helps to break up the phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of all those amazing minerals in the freekeh.

I remembered that when I was back in grad school I would use leftover brown rice in a throw together pilaf of sorts – the grain combined with a vegetable, some kind of dried fruit, and nuts.  It was extremely cost-efficient and filling, and most importantly, it was extremely tasty.

raw mushrooms

I wanted rich, savory flavors in my pilaf, so I chose mushrooms (umami!), and I also had dried apricots and almonds in the house, so I went with those.  The resulting combination was delicious and I loved it.  The grains are chewy and toothsome, a little sweet and nutty, and quite filling, what with all that fiber.  The mushrooms and onions add a nice savoriness, and the nuts and dried apricots add a crunchy and sweet-tang to break up the rich flavors throughout.  A very satisfying dish, overall.  I hope you like it.

freekeh pilaf

Freekeh Pilaf

1 cup dry freekeh
water for soaking, plus 1 cup for cooking
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 small red onion, diced
1 tablespoon of butter
10 oz mushroom caps, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
red wine, for deglazing
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
salt and pepper

Soak the freekeh in water and 1 teaspoon vinegar for 8-12 hours. Drain and rinse. Combine the freekeh with another cup of water in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, then cover and let cook on low heat until the freekeh has steamed and absorbed all the water.

Cook onion in butter until it caramelizes a bit. Add mushrooms to the onions, add a glug of olive oil and salt. Let the mushrooms release their juices.

Add the pressed/minced garlic to the onion-mushroom mixture. Cook until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms start to sear. De-glaze with red wine.

Add the steamed freekeh to the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Stir to combine. Add the slivered almonds. Stir to combine. Finally, add the chopped apricots. Stir to combine.  Let cook for another 5 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6-8.

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Quick Steel Cut Oats

steel cut oats nom nom nom

Usually, the words “quick” and “steel cut oats” do not go together when you’re talking about preparation of this delicious grain.  Usually one must cook the oats for a minimum of 30 minutes or so before they are edible, which is a lot longer than the more attractive five minutes it takes to whip up a bowl of rolled oats.

For years I wanted to try steel cut oats – a minimally processed grain, with a nutty flavor, and lower glycemic index than its rolled sibling – but was really put off by the cooking time.  30 minutes spent over a hot stove in the morning before going to work?  No way.  And I’ve preferred something like pancakes, eggs, and/or bacon on the weekends, when I had the time I could devote to cooking the oats.

If you soak them the night before, it accomplishes two things:  1) it breaks up the phytic acid and the oats, therefore increasing their nutritional value, and 2) it gets something delicious in your belly in about 5 minutes, and becomes a realistic weekday breakfast option.

The soaking has completely changed the way I eat steel cut oats forever.  I rarely make rolled oats for breakfast anymore.  Steel cut oats all the way!  Yummeh.

Quick Steel Cut Oats

These are great just with cold raw milk.  Other successful additions include cinnamon, dried fruits, nuts, and seeds.  Fresh fruit is another addition, but I have found that I prefer dried fruits.  Also, be sure to soak the oats in a non-reactive bowl – I prefer tempered glass to just about anything else.

1/2 cup dry steel cut oats
1/2 cup water
pinch of base (baking soda); or, a splash of vinegar, lemon juice, or kefir; or, a small bit of yogurt

At night, combine 1/2 c oats with 1/2 c water and the acid or base.  Let it sit out overnight, covered by a towel.

Then, in the morning, dump the oats (which have swelled up with water) into a pot, and add a half cup more of water. Heat it up until the rest of the water absorbs and the oats become a porridge consistency, 3-5 minutes.

Serve with cold, raw milk, and fruit/nut combinations if you like.

Eat it up!  Makes two portions.

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The Best Rice Pudding

rice pudding

Recently, I read this post by traditional food blogger Cheeseslave, entitled Paula of Guadalajara, Mexico: A Testament to Dr. Weston Price, and was struck by her exchange regarding dessert:

I asked her how many times a week her children got dessert. I thought maybe she’d say once a week. She said, “Usually every night.” …  She’d also make them “arroz con leche” or rice & milk custard, made with milk, butter, rice, raisins, cinnamon, and a tiny bit of sugar.

When I saw that, I was instantly inspired to make rice pudding.  I’ve been a fan of rice pudding since I was a little girl, and especially liked the recipe my grandmother uses.  She passed it down to me, and I’m so grateful to have it, because it’s wonderful!  In fact, I’ve made this rice pudding for people who say they hate the stuff, and after tasting it they become total converts.

I used to make it with conventional ingredients, but now I make it with my raw milk – and yes, the milk cooks in the process, but as it’s grass-fed, non-homogenized and did not go through the pasteurization process originally, it’s so much better for you.

I use raw milk, organic sugar, pastured eggs, grass-fed butter, and organic rice – I like to use sushi rice because it results in an even creamier pudding than with long grain white rice; arborio rice would work, too, I bet.  I do wonder if maple syrup would be a good replacement for the sugar; I’ll have to try that next time.

Rice Pudding

Dessert is something I love, and although I’m severely reducing my sugar intake, I’d be sad to completely abandon dessert.  I’m constantly looking for options that do not wreck havoc on my system, and that are relatively healthy while being delicious.  This pudding works for me – it’s made with top notch ingredients and is very rich, so a little goes a long way.  It’s also a wonderful dish to share with others – rice pudding is so comforting.

1/2 c. organic white rice (long grain or sushi, not instant)
1 c. water
1 qt. milk (4 cups)
1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
3 pastured eggs
1/2 c. evaporated cane juice or rapadura
1 c. raisins (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
cinnamon

Pour rice slowly into rapidly boiling water in large pot. Don’t stir.

Cover tightly and cook exactly 7 minutes. Water should be absorbed for the most part.

Add milk and butter. Stir a little.

Bring mixture to a boil, cover and cook slowly over a low flame for 1 hour.

5 minutes before the hour is up, beat eggs, add sweetener and vanilla.

Temper egg mixture by mixing a little bit of the hot milk and rice in with the eggs. Pour mixture into rice, stirring slowly until rice starts to thicken. Add cinnamon to taste. Can be enjoyed either warm or cold.

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Soaked Whole Wheat Bread

gorgeous loaf of whole wheat bread

For over a year now I’ve been soaking my whole grains, and am very comfortable with the process and happy with the results.  So, I thought it would be a good idea to start soaking flours, too, when it comes to working with doughs and batters.  When I first heard about soaking flours, I thought what the heck?!?  I couldn’t imagine how that would work.

I came to understand that “soaking” just meant combining liquid(s) and flour into a ball.  Usually it sits overnight, allowing the phytic acid to break down and fermentation to start.  Truth be told, it can be a little unwieldy to work with the soaked dough ball at first.  However, I’ve absolutely loved the results, so it’s all worth it.

Over the weekend I baked this whole wheat bread, which turned out amazing!  I am in love with this bread.  It’s delicious, nutritious, great as toast and for sandwiches, and I notice that it doesn’t affect my blood sugar negatively – I don’t get a high and then a big low that I sometimes do with commercial bread.

raw dough collage - isn't it lovely?

I made it with this wonderful locally grown Cayuga Organics whole wheat flour that I get through my CSA, mixed with some Bob’s Red Mill unbleached all purpose flour.  I used the raw honey I get through my buying club, which is excellent stuff.

This recipe was originally published on Simply Real Food.

Whole Wheat Bread

I prefer to use honey over maple syrup, because I think honey and whole wheat are a classic combination. As far as using a dough hook, that is a convenience – you could absolutely knead this by hand.  Please don’t let the lack of equipment bar you from trying this wonderful bread!

1 1/2 tbsp. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups tepid buttermilk
1/4 cup raw honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled slightly
1 tbsp. salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3-4 cups unbleached bread flour

Day One:
Mix 3 cups of wheat flour with 1 1/2 cups buttermilk. Cover with a towel. Leave out overnight.

Day Two:
In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In a heavy duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk/ flour mixture, sweetener, butter, and salt. Beat on medium low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the yeast mixture. Beat for 1 minute. Add the bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Switch to the dough hook. Knead on low speed, adding the bread flour 1 Tbsp at a time if the dough sticks, until smooth but slightly sticky when pressed, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and turn the dough once to coat it. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1- 1/2 hours.

Lightly grease two 9-by-5 inch loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide in half and pat each half into a long rectangle. Fold one rectangle like a letter, overlapping the short sides in the middle; press to flatten. Beginning at the narrow end, tightly roll up the dough into a thick log. Roll the log back and forth with your palms until it is the same length as the pan. Pinch the ends and the long seam to seal. Place the loaf, seam side down, in prepared pan, tucking the ends under to make a neat, snug fit. Repeat with the second portion. Cover loosely and let rise until about 1 inch above the rim of each pan, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and pull away from the pan sides, 35-40 minutes. Turn out onto racks and cool completely.

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Delicious Soaked Granola

granola

Since I’ve transitioned to eating a more traditional diet, I’ve followed the practice of soaking the whole grains I eat, which include millet, quinoa, and oats.  I soak the grains with a little bit of acid – raw cider vinegar in my case, but lemon juice, whey, or cultured dairy products will do well, too.

Now, why do I do this?

Whole grains contain phytic acid, which negatively affects digestion and absorption of minerals.  Phytic acid, sometimes considered an “anti-nutrient”, is present in the bran and shells of all seeds and grains.  It combines with  minerals such as zinc, calcium, magnesium, and iron, and as a result these minerals are unable to be absorbed properly in the digestive tract.  When you soak the grains (or ferment or sprout them), it neutralizes the phytic acid, and the gut can digest the grains and absorb their nutrition properly.

As I see it, soaking is a good thing.

additions

Breakfast is my very favorite meal of the day.  I love waking up after a long fast (8 hours or so of sleep) and being hungry, looking forward to eating.  I grew up eating conventional breakfast cereal, so cereal is still a normal thing for me to eat in the mornings, and it’s not something I want to give up.  I gladly eat oatmeal, but wanted to have some cold cereal on hand, especially in the summer when it’s hot.  The conventional cereals are full of unappealing ingredients, overly processed, plus the grains are not soaked.  What to do?

I’ve always loved granola, so I went searching the internet for a soaked granola recipe.  And I found one!  I love this recipe.  It was originally published by Lindsay of Passionate Homemaking, who modified it from this recipe.  I made a few changes, but they are minor – replacing the raisins with bits of dried apricot; sometimes leaving out the seeds.  It goes very well with cold raw milk, completing the bowl of nutrient dense food.

come together

My plan is to make this monthly, so we have a great alternative for cold cereal in our household.  Here is the recipe:

Soaked Granola

I have always made a half recipe, whose proportions are below – a whole recipe is massive. I have increased the water, as by accident I put too much in last time, and I loved the result – a crispier product. I love almonds, so I specify those, and replaced the raisins with apricots, as mentioned above. Be sure to use a high quality coconut oil that is minimally processed; I also prefer butter that is from grass-fed cows.

4 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cups kefir
1.5 cups water
1/4 cup raw honey
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried shredded coconut
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup chopped pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup dried apples, chopped
1/8 cup minced dried figs (optional)

Mix oats with the melted butter and oil, kefir and water in a large bowl. Cover with a cloth and/or plate and allow to sit at cool room temperature for 24 hours. After the soaking time, preheat the oven to 200° F.

Place honey, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla in a small pot on the stove. Gently warm up this mixture, stirring until honey becomes thin.

Combine sweeteners and oat mixtures, mixing to incorporate.

Spread mixture out over two parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Bake for 2-4 hours, until granola is dry and crisp.  Allow to cool in oven before removing to a container.  It will get crisper at it cools.

Mix in coconut, apricots, pumpkin seeds, apples and nuts, as desired.  Store in an airtight container.  Serve with chilled raw milk.

Makes 2.5 quarts.