%u00a0 I use to suck the juice out of the seeds (they are actually called arils)%u00a0of the pomegranate and spit out the actual seeds…%u00a0I thought that the seeds were poisonous. (I blame my sister for this .She is the one that told me that). %u00a0And it turns out that it is an actual thing. That other people think that the seeds are not edible, so I guess don%u2019t feel so duped.%u00a0But I leaned. The seeds, they are very much edible, and very much tasty. I love biting into a pomegranate seed, letting the juice flood my mouth, followed by a nice little crunch from the seed inside, just like little crunchy red jewels.%u00a0And the method of removing the seeds just makes them that much better. When you have to whack a fruit for it’s edible parts, it got to be good. And to make this clear%u2026.%u00a0to all the people out there that thick the seeds are poison%u2026 the seeds are NOT POISION. In fact, they are quite good for you.
Now that that has been established, we can get to eating these little pearls the right way.%u00a0 And being all holiday and jolly lala, I was thinking of some classic side dishes that are typical around this time.%u00a0 Creamed spinach came to mind, but that just seemed a little boring. That%u2019s where the pomegranate comes in. %u00a0You add pomegranate to anything and it%u2019s not boring anymore. Also I switched out the creamed part and replaced it with cashew cream, and spinach with kale%u2026 cause that%u2019s what I do. And the results are fantastic! Sweet, creamy, crunchy, earthy… All the best flavors. And even though I ate most of it hot, it%u2019s definitely a side that moves from hot to cold and still taste super great. Would even make a nice sandwich or maybe add a little bed of grains and you got yourself a nice little lunch.
But the again, you probably wont have any left overs
The stuff. A bunch of kale, some cashews that have been soaking for a little while,%u00a0 and a pomegrante %u00a0(I only used half of one). We also need us some more fresh water, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic and salt and pepper.
Remove the arils (thats what the juicy seeds ae called) by placing half the pomegranate into a bowl and whacking %u00a0it with a big wooden spoon. (martha stewart taught me this)
Strain the soaking cashews and dump them into a blender with the juice of the lemon, the garlic, some fresh water and some salt and pepper.
Turn blender on and blend until a nice smooth consistency
Chop up the kale and place into a really big skillet with a few splashes of water.
Once the kale has wilted, pour the cashew cream all over it.%u00a0
Add in the pomegranate %u00a0seeds
And get yourself a fork (bowl is optional( and eat.%u00a0
Creamed food never tasted this good!
-C
makes 3-4 servings%u00a0
1 bunch (abut a pound) Kale
1/2 cup cashews that have been soaking in water for a little while
3/4 cup water
1 lemon
2-3 loves garlic
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1/2 a pomegranate)
salt and pepper to taste%u00a0
Take your pomegranate , slice in half, and place half seed sside down into a bowl. Take a big wooden spoon or something like it, and whack the outside of the fruit. The seeds will all fall out.. but check for any stuck seeds
Strain cashews from soaking waterand dump into a blender with the juice of the lemon, the garlic, %u00be cups of water, and a pinch or two of salt. Blend until a smooth a creamy cream. If you think the cream is to thick, add in another splash of water
After washing kale, chop it up into smallish pieces. (remove stems if you want.. I don’t,%u00a0I like the stems) Stick the kale into a large skillet with a few splashes of water and a sprinkle of salt and place on the oven on medium high heat. Stir around until kale is wilted and the water has evapotated. Pour on the cashew cream, mix around and top with the pomegranate seeds.
and eat..hot or cold. Its all good.
Had some littles over for dinner halloween dinner the other night %u00a0and I made them some mac n’ cheese.
Kinda, cause it wasn’t really cheese. Let me explain.%u00a0
These particular littles are tough. Getting them to eat things that are not pizza, hot dogs,%u00a0or some other crap is not always easy.(although they will always eat carrots)%u00a0So whenever they come over, I try to feed them a healthier version of something that I know that they like, %u00a0like tofu dogs or homemade whole wheat pizzas. So this night, I though I would give my vegan mac and cheese and try.%u00a0%u00a0I mean,what kid doesn’t like it? But what kind is the question. If you ask them, its got to be boxed Kraft mac and cheese.%u00a0I knew when I was making it that there was a great chance that I might have to make peanut butter banana sandwiches as well, but whatever These little littles need to stop being such picky crappy eaters and yeah. Even if that means I make them eat what why don’t like or that on the ride home I tell them that any pizza that is not home made will probably end up killing them)%u00a0So I try, and sometimes it works.%u00a0
So I made it, no cheese in sight and served it up.%u00a0The verdict…. The mr, he loved it. My sister (she came too) she was into it as well. One little ate almost an entire bowl, and the other, well he spit it out,%u00a0but he is more a hot dog guy then a mac and cheese guy so his opinion doesn’t count. So to conclude,%u00a0yes, this is a fantasic mac and cheese that just happened to be cheese less,%u00a0%u00a0full of veggies, and damn tasty!
And serving suggestion DON”T LET THE LITTLE KNOW IT”S NOT REAL CHEESE!!! They don’t need to know
To the mac!
The stuff. A small butternut squash, a potato, an onion, and a carrot. Also needed is nutritional yeast (the cheeze), garlic powder, olive oil, salt and pepper, and some water. And pasta.. don’t forget the pasta.%u00a0
Start with the onion and carrot in a big pot with some oil. Stick that on the stove and turn on the heat, and when that’s going, chop up the butternut sqauh and the potato and toss that into the pot too. Let the stuff cook for just a few minutes.
Pour in water (enough o submerge all the veggies) %u00a0and add in the garlic powder and some salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil then turn heat down to medium and stick a lid on the pot.
Now is a good time to boil up your pasta situation (cook it the way the package says too)
When it’s done, strain it. And if it happens that it is done a little before the sauce, it’s cool, just drizzle it with a little oil so that the noodles don’t all stick together and set aside.
Back to the sauce. Once the pot of veggies is all tender and falling apart, take it off the stove.
And blend the crap out of it with your blending method of choice (a hand o a regular blender)
Oh, and mix in the nutrioanl yeast (can add it in at the blending stage%u2026 I just forgot too) and season with any more salt and pepper if needed.
Grap the cooked noodles,%u00a0dump them into the sauce and give a good mix.
Scoop into food eating vessels,(handled coffee mugs are great for the littles.. and cute)%u00a0Maybe sprinkle on some chopped green stuff(my people enjoyed the addition of chopped up kale) and serve right away!
half a small butternut squash (about 2 1/2 ish cups chopped)
1 medium white potato
1 medium yellow onion
1 large carrot
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
water
Chop up the onion and the carrot and stick into a large heavy bottom pot with a splash or two of olive oil and stick on the stove on medium heat.%u00a0While that’s %u00a0going on, chop up the butternut and potato into reasonable small chunks and toss that into the pot with the other stuff. Add in the garlic powder, season well with salt and pepper, and add enough water to full submerge the contents of the pot. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to medium and stick a cover on the pot.
While the veggies are boiling, boil the pasta up, slightly al denta (follow what the pasta people on the package tells you to do)
Once all the veggies in the pot are super tender, even falling apart (about 20 minutes) remove pot from heat and using your blending method of choice (hand or normal blender)%u00a0%u00a0blend everything together until smooth and creamy and then add in the nutritional yeast. Taste and if you think it needs it, add more salt and %u00a0pepper.%u00a0If you find that the sauce seems to thick, add in a splash or two of water.. to thin, stick back on stove and cook long to reduce.%u00a0
So you got you cooked pasta and you sauce. Mix it all together. And wa la%u2026 Mac N’ Cheeze
serve right away and eat it all. But any left overs can be refrigerated. Tastes great %u00a0the next day warmed in a skillet with a little oil.%u00a0
Two days ago,%u00a0%u00a0I was doing my least favoritie thing on my computer (bills) when the computer started to act a little funny and throwing me off the internet and just vein stupid. So what did I do?%u00a0Well, like every other electronic that I have ever had issues with, I just turned it off and restarted the thing. When I turned it back on, already in a bad mood (stupid bills), I was greeted to a blank blue background where one lived a really cute picture of the mr and the pup. “Weird” was the thought that passed through my mind but didn’t think to much about it,%u00a0just that I needed a new photo. So I went to my iPhoto library to pick out a new picture and what did I find? NOTHING! Not a single f*king picture. My entire photo library from the past 5 months…GONE!! Yup. I totally freaked out. I have no clue what happened. I searched and looked up all sorts of things, but found no help. I even brought the computer to my sisters, who told me that I should have no problem getting the stuff back, I just need to %u00a0time machine you computer. But guess what, that little nifty function was turned off on my commuter. WHAT THE F!(I have sense turned it on)%u00a0Long story shot.. the picture, they be gone.. and I am not willing to fork over hundreds of dollars to see if someone in a fancy blue shirt %u00a0might be able to get them back.%u00a0
Just going to take it as a lesson learned to BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER!!!!!! %u00a0
Agh. So that happened, but so did this soup.%u00a0These pictures are %u00a0the last pictures that I had on my camera sim card that I accidentally %u00a0didn’t remove the last time I loaded up my pictures. After the afternoon and evening of franticly trying to restore my pictures, it was nice little surprise to find one thing left. %u00a0I think it was meant to be, to have to share this soup with the world cause this soup be banging! %u00a0Made all creamy and nice with one of my favorite veggies,%u00a0%u00a0celeriac and broccoli , and a touch of cheeeniess from a little nutritional yeast. A spin on the classic cream of broccoli. A soup so good I ate 3 bowls in one sitting (ok, so they were small bowls, but still) And the last of the photos from before that day that I will recur to now as “Stupid Fucking Computer Day, or SFCD”%u00a0
Anyway, a fantastic soup, a shitty day. But you know what? It could have been a lot worse. I could have totally destroyed everything on my computer or even broke the thing. Sure, I lost a bunch of pictures, but I am ok with it now. I am just taking it like I have a clean slate. %u00a0And now I am going to be way better about backing shit up. %u00a0I will think about it everytime I make soup.%u00a0Maybe it will be my new thing, back computer up %u00a0while I make soup.
The stuff. A big head of broccoli, with a big stalk, some super knobby celeriac, an onion and a couple carrots. Also gonna need a lemon, some garlic and garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and a little olive oil.%u00a0
Start by dicing up the carrot, onion, and the garlic and toss it into a large heavy bottom bot with a drizzle of olive oil. Stick that pot on the stove on medium heat and let those veggies get a kick start in cooking. And now is a good time to dice up the celeriac (I do not peel it, but you can if you want) %u00a0and cut the broccoli florets off of the stalk and dice up the stalk.
Dump the stalk and celeratic into the pot as week, giving it a sprinkle of salt and a splash of water. LEt everything cook for a fe wore minutes, or until the stuff starts to brown and the water is evaporated.
Now pouter in water.. enough to full submerge the veggie goodness. SPrinlle the whole pot with a bit more salt and pepper and add in the garlic pepper. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn heat down to low, stick a litd on it, and list simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
And the veggies are all super nice and tender%u00a0
Now grab your hand blender%u2026 and do what needs to be done. Turn the burner off and %u00a0blend until smooth and creamy. If you need to, add in more water, as much as you like. The more water, the thinner your soup.( IF you add to much, just simmer soup longer and let it cook out)%u00a0Now chop chop chop the broccoli florets into little pieces and dump them into the creamy goodess. Turn the burner back on to medium heat.
Add in the nutritional yeast and the zest of the lemon and and any more salt sand pepper that you like, give it a good stir, and let cook for a few more minutes or unit the little pieces of broccoli are nice and tender.%u00a0
And right when you are ready to serve, add in the juice of the lemon.. or just serve each bowl with a wedge. Garnish with pretty green chopped up broccoli if you like.. some cracked pepper or whatever.%u00a0
And don’t forget a spoon !
Souping.. that what I do.
Now go back up your computer!
Have a great day!
-C
Makes enough for 4-5 people
2 celeriac bulbs (softball-ish sized)
1 large head of broccoli with a big stalk
1 large yellow onion
2 carrots
4-5 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons garlic powder (optional..I like a lot of garlic)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 lemon%u2026 zest and juice
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 cups water
Grab yourself a big heavy bottom pot and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Chop up the carrot, onion and garlic and toss that stuff %u00a0into the pot. %u00a0Give it a stir and let cook for a few minutes on medium heat.. Meanwhile, chop up the celeriac into small chiunks and %u00a0chop the florets from the broccoli, set floteets aside ,and dice up the remaining parts and stalk of the broccoli. %u00a0Toss the chopped broccoli stalk and the chop celeriac into the pot with the onions and carrots , give the pot a big splash of water, a sprinkle of salt and give it a good stir. Let the veggies cook for a few more minutes or until the water has completely evaporated.%u00a0
Now add in %u00a0water.. enough to fully submerge all the veggies. Add in a little more salt, pepper and the garlic powder, give it all a good stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heart to medium low and cover the pot with a lid. Let veggies simmer for about 20- 25 minutes or until the veggie are nice and tender.%u00a0
Turn heat off and grab the emulsifying blender and blend until smooth (can use a normal blender) Once smooth, chop %u00a0the broccoli florets into little pieces and add to the pot , along with the nutritional yeast, the zest of the lemon,%u00a0%u00a0and any more salt and pepper that you would like. %u00a0Turn heat back on to medium low and continue to cook until the little piece of broccoli are tender.Once ready to serve, add in the juice of the lemon.
Serve in bowls, sprinkle with broccoli bits, pepper or whatever, and eat you heart out. (I ate 3 bowls in one sitting)
FRIDAY%u00a0YEAH YEAH!!!!
And for your Friday, I made these awesome little raw/ vegan/ gluten free cookies.%u00a0
Now wait a minute. Don’t let all the labels of what is not in these cookies scare you away. Just focus on all the stuff that these cookies are made of. Almonds, Cashews, Coconut, Cocoa, Oatmeal. They are cookies made with lots of good yummy stuff that just happened to be enjoyed by those with%u00a0specific food diets as well as%u00a0those who eat anything. A cookie for all!%u00a0%u00a0See, don’t they sound excellent? Yes, yes they do. And they are good. So, so, good.%u00a0Even the mr. is into them. And he is far from being%u00a0raw/vegan/ gluten free.%u00a0
And because these cookies are made%u00a0with all sorts of good for you stuff (lots of proteins,%u00a0good healthy fats, and%u00a0complex carbs) you can pretty much feel zero percent guilt eating them.%u00a0They a%u00a0are a no joke, healthy, energy packed cookies of goodness. A fantastic way%u00a0to start the morning, eat with lunch, as dessert, post work out,%u00a0or eat as a late night snack. (Just don’t eat them all at once)%u00a0
Now go for it!
The raw stuff. A cup of old fashion rolled oat that have been soaking in water for about an hour.%u00a0%u00a0Almonds(which I spent 20 minutes deshelling) cashews, dehydrated coconut flakes, some cocoa powder and a few medjool%u00a0date. If your nuts are unsalted, add a pinch of salt too.%u00a0
Dump everything into %u00a0a food processor. BUT WAIT! Make sure to remove the pits from the dates)I have broken a blade in the past form a date pit)
Blend unit combined and a kind of rough dough is formed. It will be a little sticky. If it;s to sticky to handle, place into the fridge for a few minutes to set up.
Now take blobs of mixture and roll into balls
And you could totally leave them as balls%u2026 you can%u00a0even play with your balls%u2026.
But I think they look nicer squished flat and topped with pieces of nuts and coconut. They look almost fancy, if I do say so myself.
Now have yourself a cookie, and place the rest in the fridge (they get harder and, if you can imagine, taste even better after a few hours of%u00a0cold)
Freak Yeah FRIDAY!%u00a0Do fu stuff!
-C
Makes 15 normal sized cookies (you can make more or less, depending on the ball size)
1 cups oat fashion oats soaked in 1%u00a0cup%u00a0water for at least an hour (use gluten free oats if needed)
1/2 cup raw%u00a0almonds
1/2 cup raw%u00a0cashews
5-6 medjool%u00a0dates
1/2 cup dehydrated%u00a0flaked coconut
1/4 cup cocoa powder
a pinch of salt (if your nuts are unsalted)
Add all the ingredients into a food processer and blend until the mixer forms a %u00a0cohesive%u00a0dough. It;s going to be a tad sticky, but if it seems to sticky to handle, refrigerate for a little bit so it’s easier to handle. (I have no problem handling right away)
Scoop %u00a0and roll into balls and either%u00a0leave them as is or%u00a0squish them flat. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and%u00a0coconut
Eat one or two right away, then stick the rest in%u00a0fridge.
A ok to eat as breakfast, with lunch, at dinner, as as snack, a post workout protein, or when sitting on the couch and watching TV.
The past week was freaking gross hot, like sweaty, smelly, I want to live in the Costco walk in freezer hot. But today, well today was the most lovely day. A cool dry 70 with a nice breeze and sunshine. Then around dinnertime, a little bit of rain, followed by a rainbow.%u00a0It%u00a0was the most fantastic perfect weather.This is why I love living in Vermont. We get weather.
.Last night, dinner%u00a0was all about trying to make some more room in the fridge for the farm share pick up tonight and to make something that I didn’t%u00a0have to really watch. (the mr and I were moving the beehive to the roof of the%u00a0house%u00a0so%u00a0I wanted to make something that I could leave%u00a0on the stove and not have to babysit (just stir every now and then).%u00a0With the%u00a0weather being%u00a0so freaking amazing, with a cool crispness in the air,%u00a0%u00a0I was craving something a little more on the warm and comfy side.%u00a0And what do you know, the stuff%u00a0I had%u00a0left in the fridge (there is still a basket of zucchini on the table) was what was%u00a0needed for a big pot of stewed summer ratatouille with lentils.%u00a0It was everthing that I ever could need and want for a meal. Full of the best veggies and%u00a0lentils,%u00a0easy to make, nothing fancy to do. Just stick stuff into a pot and cook until done.%u00a0
Cooler, light long sleeve, kind of%u00a0weather. %u00a0Enough rain where I didn’t have to water the garden, the most perfect pot of the best ratatouille shared with the mr.%u00a0and a feeling of accomplishment and excitement (bees on the roof!).
The perfect night.
The stuff. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, onion, tomatoes and lentils. And we have some fresh basil, fresh oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some salt and pepper.
To get this party started, chop up the onion and toss it into a big heavy pot with a little%u00a0%u00a0olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick on the stove on medium heat.
While the onions are cooking, %u00a0mince up the garlic and chop%u00a0up all the other veggie into%u00a0medium sized chunks.%u00a0
When the onions start to become translucent and smell fantastic,%u00a0add in all the veggies and garlic. Give it a big stir and place back on the stove to cook for a few minutes to let the veggies release some of their liquid.%u00a0
Then add in the lentils along with a equal amount of%u00a0water and top with a lid.
After about 30%u00a0minutes, the lentils should be near done and the veggies tender, the tomatoes pretty much dissolved. Now chop up the basil and oregano and toss it in along with a few swigs of the balsamic vinegar. Give it a stir and keep on cooking for another 10ish%u00a0more minutes or until the lentils are nice and tender.
Scoop onto bowl%u00a0then into mouth. If you like, finish off with a bit more fresh basil or,ike the mr, top with parmesan cheese.
Have a fantastic day! So close to the weekend!!
-C
Makes 2-3 big servings (if serving with pastas or rice, its more like 4-5 servings)
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow summer squash
1 medium onion
1 small eggplant
3-4 cloves garlic
1 cup dried lentils
1/2 %u00a0cup water
3 medium to large tomatoes
handful fresh basil leaves
a few glugs of balsamic vinegar
couple sprigs of fresh oregano
olive oil
salt and pepper
Drizzle a little olive oil into a large pot. Dice up the onion and place on medium heat and cook for a few minutes. Mince up the garlic and chop up the remaining veggies into medium sized pieces. Once the onion is cooke a bit and strting to smell oh so nice,%u00a0toss the veggies and garlic into the pot. Mix, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place a lid on it.%u00a0Cook for a few minutes to draw out a bit of liquid from the veggies. Now add in the lentils and the water. Stick the lid back on and let cook for about 30 minutes on medium low heat or until the lentils are starting to soften.
When the lentils are mostly soft, but still have a bit of biet, dice the fresh herbs and toss into pot with a few swings of balsamic vinegar. %u00a0Stir and cook %u00a0for another 8-10 minutes or until the lentils are full cooked.
Remove from heat and ladle into bowls..
Serve with rice, pasta, bread, a big old pile of fresh greens, or just as it is.
Eats fantastic right aways, or cold late at night standing in front of the fridge..
%u00a0The mr. calls them the beached whales of the garden. One day you have these nice little green gems growing in the garden. You see them from a distance and think, “Oh look at those squash, those are%u00a0%u00a0oh so lovely”%u00a0and then you look away. Maybe you leave and let them%u00a0grow for%u00a0a day or two. Then%u00a0when you come back to look, they%u00a0have%u00a0turned into %u00a0humongous squash that, in fact, look%u00a0like giant green beached whales.
We have been eating%u00a0a lot of those%u00a0beached whale these past few weeks..
Take yesterday for example. I%u00a0%u00a0made zucchini bread, zucchini relish, zucchini pickles and these here zucchini noodles. And that was before I went to the garden and picked 4 more. And today is farm share pick up which%u00a0means I’ll be receiving at least another 8-12 squash.%u00a0And%u00a0did I mention that there are%u00a0currently%u00a06%u00a0large zucchini sitting on my table.
My new life motto as of lately is %u2026.When life gives you zucchini.. just eat the shit%u00a0out of them.
These noodles are%u00a0by far, one of the easiest, and most delicious%u00a0ways to use up a butt load of zucchini. And%u00a0you%u00a0can do it every day.%u00a0I know people that eat pasta like 5 time a week so I don’t think it’s that weird to be eating zucchini noodles every night. The mr. well%u00a0he is eating them like a champ. For a guy that really likes his pasta, he really likes when I make these noodle. And as he%u00a0said%u00a0last night, “who wouldn’t like a bowl of carb free noodles that taste amazing and you can eat as much as you want and not feel like car?”. My responses was,” maybe some asshole? I don’t know”
So%u00a0yeah, zucchini noodles is where its at.%u00a0
The stuff. 2%u00a0big%u00a0zucchinis, a%u00a0large tomato,%u00a0a%u00a0few cloves of garlic, a lemon (or just some lemon juice)%u00a0and a%u00a0handful of fresh basil. Also grab a little olive oil and the%u00a0and salt and pepper.%u00a0
Firstly, turn you squash into noodles. Do it anyway you like.. I used my mandolin slicer to cut “spaghetti” but you can use a julienne slicer, a noodle maker, or even a box grater. Once made, set noodles aside.
Now chop tomato into chunks and%u00a0%u00a0mince garlic. Add to a%u00a0large skillet with a%u00a0drizzle%u00a0of olive oil. Place on medium heat, mix around and cook for a few minutes unit %u00a0garlic becomes fragrant and the tomatoes are soften.%u00a0
Now add in the noodles. %u00a0Just toss right%u00a0into the pan with the galic and tomatoes. Add a splash %u00a0of water, the juice of the lemon and salt and pepper. Keep heat on medium and mix noodles around until slightly soft (or cooked to you liking)
Once your happy with the doneness, remove from heat.
%u00a0Roughly chop or tear the basil into smallish pieces and toss into noodles.
And noodles be done. Now to eating.. and be sure to eat as much as you can, its only zucchini.
Have a good today!
-C
2 medium to large%u00a0medium zucchinis%u00a0
a handful of fresh basil
1 large tomato or%u00a02 handfuls of cherry tomatoes%u00a0
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
salt and%u00a0pepper
olive oil
Take zucchini and either with a veggie noodle maker, a juillene peeler, or madoline, %u00a0a box grater, or just some sweets knife skills,%u00a0make the noodles and set aside. Mince garlic and chop%u00a0the tomatoes into chunks add to a large skillet%u00a0with%u00a0a drizzle of olive oil and place on medium heat and cook until %u00a0the tomatoes are soft and the garlic is fragrant.Once that’s cooked,%u00a0place the noodles into the skillet with about 1/4 cup water and the nice of the lemon. Season to taste%u00a0%u00a0with salt and pepper. Mix noodles around and cook%u00a0until slightly tender (cook longer for a more well done noodle)%u00a0Remove from heat. Chop or rip%u00a0up your basil and toss into the noodles and mix around.
And now it’s time.
Place in bowls and fill you mouth hole.
This time of year, there are so many reasons for popsicles, but I think that main reason is that%u00a0I don’t want to willingly turn on the oven for any amount of time. It’s just to f-ing hot.
Lately, it’s been hot. And humid. And gross. Just way%u00a0too hot to make anything in the oven.%u00a0So when I grabbed the rhubarb out of the fridge, knowing that if I didn’t use it soon it would go bad, I immediately thought to make pie. Then I was like,” hell no, not going to happen. I need to freeze this shit”. And freeze it I did..into the greatest, slightly sweet, slightly tart, bright pink popsicles of happiness. They are really the perfect little frozen treat. Not overly sweet and sticky, have a lot a fresh clean flavor, and takes the edge off of the super summer heat and humidity, even if only for a few minutes.%u00a0
I love popsicles.%u00a0
But sadly this is probably the last rhubarb for the season (Or maybe the second to last..I think I saw some for sale at the coop a few days ago)
So get it while you can and make these%u00a0popsicles!%u00a0
The stuff. Rhubarb, a lime and a little bit of honey (or any sweetener you like). Plus you are going to need some water, but I bet you have some of that on hand.
Chop the rhubarb into inch chunks and toss into a big pot with the water. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil then turn heat to low and let simmer.%u00a0
Once the rhubarb is so soft that it falls apart, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
With a fine mesh stainer, strain juice into a large jar or bowl.%u00a0
Now you have the juice for the popsicles and the left over rhubarb stuff%u00a0is the%u00a0rhubarb butter.
Place the%u00a0rhubarb butter into a jar, adding a little honey(or whatever)%u00a0if you want and eat with anything and everything%u00a0%u00a0(%u00a0I’ve been adding%u00a0%u00a0it to the mr’s%u00a0yogurt and just%u00a0eating it with a spoon)
And now add the juice of the%u00a0lime%u00a0to the rhubarb juice and add a little honey or whatever%u00a0sweetness to taste.
And add the rhubarb juice to your popsicle molds and stick in the freezer with sticks tops or wait two hours and add wooden sticks.
When frozen, run the mold under a little hot water and pop those suckers out.
A two for one deal here. And timed perfectly. You%u00a0%u00a0have the rhubarb butter%u00a0to eat while%u00a0you wait%u00a0for the popsicles to freeze.%u00a0So smart
Happy Tuesday.. Keep it cool!
-C
makes 6%u00a04oz popsicles and about a cup of jam
3 cups chopped rhubarb
2 1/2 cups water
1 lime
Anywhere from 4%u00a0tablespoons honey (2 for popsicles and 2 for jam)
Chop the rhubarb into inch ish chunks and stick into a big pot with water. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is so soft its falling apart. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Take a big jug or bowl with a fine mesh strainer,strain the liquid from the solids. You can use a wooden spoon to stir around to help get the juice flowing. Place remaining solids into a jar and add as little or as much or as little honey (any sweetener you like) and give it a stir. Thats your jam
Now for the popsicles. Add the juice of the lime and a tablespoon or two of honey (or whatever sweeteners you like) and mix around. Pour into popsicle molds and stick into freezer.Know your mold.. if you need to insert a stick, do so after about 2 hours.%u00a0
When pops are frozen, remove from mold and eat your heart out.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
October 18, 2019 by maximios • Blog
%u00a0 I use to suck the juice out of the seeds (they are actually called arils)%u00a0of the pomegranate and spit out the actual seeds…%u00a0I thought that the seeds were poisonous. (I blame my sister for this .She is the one that told me that). %u00a0And it turns out that it is an actual thing. That other people think that the seeds are not edible, so I guess don%u2019t feel so duped.%u00a0But I leaned. The seeds, they are very much edible, and very much tasty. I love biting into a pomegranate seed, letting the juice flood my mouth, followed by a nice little crunch from the seed inside, just like little crunchy red jewels.%u00a0And the method of removing the seeds just makes them that much better. When you have to whack a fruit for it’s edible parts, it got to be good. And to make this clear%u2026.%u00a0to all the people out there that thick the seeds are poison%u2026 the seeds are NOT POISION. In fact, they are quite good for you.
Now that that has been established, we can get to eating these little pearls the right way.%u00a0 And being all holiday and jolly lala, I was thinking of some classic side dishes that are typical around this time.%u00a0 Creamed spinach came to mind, but that just seemed a little boring. That%u2019s where the pomegranate comes in. %u00a0You add pomegranate to anything and it%u2019s not boring anymore. Also I switched out the creamed part and replaced it with cashew cream, and spinach with kale%u2026 cause that%u2019s what I do. And the results are fantastic! Sweet, creamy, crunchy, earthy… All the best flavors. And even though I ate most of it hot, it%u2019s definitely a side that moves from hot to cold and still taste super great. Would even make a nice sandwich or maybe add a little bed of grains and you got yourself a nice little lunch.
But the again, you probably wont have any left overs
The stuff. A bunch of kale, some cashews that have been soaking for a little while,%u00a0 and a pomegrante %u00a0(I only used half of one). We also need us some more fresh water, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic and salt and pepper.
Remove the arils (thats what the juicy seeds ae called) by placing half the pomegranate into a bowl and whacking %u00a0it with a big wooden spoon. (martha stewart taught me this)
Strain the soaking cashews and dump them into a blender with the juice of the lemon, the garlic, some fresh water and some salt and pepper.
Turn blender on and blend until a nice smooth consistency
Chop up the kale and place into a really big skillet with a few splashes of water.
Once the kale has wilted, pour the cashew cream all over it.%u00a0
Add in the pomegranate %u00a0seeds
And get yourself a fork (bowl is optional( and eat.%u00a0
Creamed food never tasted this good!
-C
makes 3-4 servings%u00a0
Take your pomegranate , slice in half, and place half seed sside down into a bowl. Take a big wooden spoon or something like it, and whack the outside of the fruit. The seeds will all fall out.. but check for any stuck seeds
Strain cashews from soaking waterand dump into a blender with the juice of the lemon, the garlic, %u00be cups of water, and a pinch or two of salt. Blend until a smooth a creamy cream. If you think the cream is to thick, add in another splash of water
After washing kale, chop it up into smallish pieces. (remove stems if you want.. I don’t,%u00a0I like the stems) Stick the kale into a large skillet with a few splashes of water and a sprinkle of salt and place on the oven on medium high heat. Stir around until kale is wilted and the water has evapotated. Pour on the cashew cream, mix around and top with the pomegranate seeds.
and eat..hot or cold. Its all good.
Had some littles over for dinner halloween dinner the other night %u00a0and I made them some mac n’ cheese.
Kinda, cause it wasn’t really cheese. Let me explain.%u00a0
These particular littles are tough. Getting them to eat things that are not pizza, hot dogs,%u00a0or some other crap is not always easy.(although they will always eat carrots)%u00a0So whenever they come over, I try to feed them a healthier version of something that I know that they like, %u00a0like tofu dogs or homemade whole wheat pizzas. So this night, I though I would give my vegan mac and cheese and try.%u00a0%u00a0I mean,what kid doesn’t like it? But what kind is the question. If you ask them, its got to be boxed Kraft mac and cheese.%u00a0I knew when I was making it that there was a great chance that I might have to make peanut butter banana sandwiches as well, but whatever These little littles need to stop being such picky crappy eaters and yeah. Even if that means I make them eat what why don’t like or that on the ride home I tell them that any pizza that is not home made will probably end up killing them)%u00a0So I try, and sometimes it works.%u00a0
So I made it, no cheese in sight and served it up.%u00a0The verdict…. The mr, he loved it. My sister (she came too) she was into it as well. One little ate almost an entire bowl, and the other, well he spit it out,%u00a0but he is more a hot dog guy then a mac and cheese guy so his opinion doesn’t count. So to conclude,%u00a0yes, this is a fantasic mac and cheese that just happened to be cheese less,%u00a0%u00a0full of veggies, and damn tasty!
And serving suggestion DON”T LET THE LITTLE KNOW IT”S NOT REAL CHEESE!!! They don’t need to know
To the mac!
The stuff. A small butternut squash, a potato, an onion, and a carrot. Also needed is nutritional yeast (the cheeze), garlic powder, olive oil, salt and pepper, and some water. And pasta.. don’t forget the pasta.%u00a0
Start with the onion and carrot in a big pot with some oil. Stick that on the stove and turn on the heat, and when that’s going, chop up the butternut sqauh and the potato and toss that into the pot too. Let the stuff cook for just a few minutes.
Pour in water (enough o submerge all the veggies) %u00a0and add in the garlic powder and some salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil then turn heat down to medium and stick a lid on the pot.
Now is a good time to boil up your pasta situation (cook it the way the package says too)
When it’s done, strain it. And if it happens that it is done a little before the sauce, it’s cool, just drizzle it with a little oil so that the noodles don’t all stick together and set aside.
Back to the sauce. Once the pot of veggies is all tender and falling apart, take it off the stove.
And blend the crap out of it with your blending method of choice (a hand o a regular blender)
Oh, and mix in the nutrioanl yeast (can add it in at the blending stage%u2026 I just forgot too) and season with any more salt and pepper if needed.
Grap the cooked noodles,%u00a0dump them into the sauce and give a good mix.
Scoop into food eating vessels,(handled coffee mugs are great for the littles.. and cute)%u00a0Maybe sprinkle on some chopped green stuff(my people enjoyed the addition of chopped up kale) and serve right away!
Now you can eat all the mac n cheeze.%u00a0
Happy Thursday!
-C
Serve 6 or so people
Chop up the onion and the carrot and stick into a large heavy bottom pot with a splash or two of olive oil and stick on the stove on medium heat.%u00a0While that’s %u00a0going on, chop up the butternut and potato into reasonable small chunks and toss that into the pot with the other stuff. Add in the garlic powder, season well with salt and pepper, and add enough water to full submerge the contents of the pot. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to medium and stick a cover on the pot.
While the veggies are boiling, boil the pasta up, slightly al denta (follow what the pasta people on the package tells you to do)
Once all the veggies in the pot are super tender, even falling apart (about 20 minutes) remove pot from heat and using your blending method of choice (hand or normal blender)%u00a0%u00a0blend everything together until smooth and creamy and then add in the nutritional yeast. Taste and if you think it needs it, add more salt and %u00a0pepper.%u00a0If you find that the sauce seems to thick, add in a splash or two of water.. to thin, stick back on stove and cook long to reduce.%u00a0
So you got you cooked pasta and you sauce. Mix it all together. And wa la%u2026 Mac N’ Cheeze
serve right away and eat it all. But any left overs can be refrigerated. Tastes great %u00a0the next day warmed in a skillet with a little oil.%u00a0
Two days ago,%u00a0%u00a0I was doing my least favoritie thing on my computer (bills) when the computer started to act a little funny and throwing me off the internet and just vein stupid. So what did I do?%u00a0Well, like every other electronic that I have ever had issues with, I just turned it off and restarted the thing. When I turned it back on, already in a bad mood (stupid bills), I was greeted to a blank blue background where one lived a really cute picture of the mr and the pup. “Weird” was the thought that passed through my mind but didn’t think to much about it,%u00a0just that I needed a new photo. So I went to my iPhoto library to pick out a new picture and what did I find? NOTHING! Not a single f*king picture. My entire photo library from the past 5 months…GONE!! Yup. I totally freaked out. I have no clue what happened. I searched and looked up all sorts of things, but found no help. I even brought the computer to my sisters, who told me that I should have no problem getting the stuff back, I just need to %u00a0time machine you computer. But guess what, that little nifty function was turned off on my commuter. WHAT THE F!(I have sense turned it on)%u00a0Long story shot.. the picture, they be gone.. and I am not willing to fork over hundreds of dollars to see if someone in a fancy blue shirt %u00a0might be able to get them back.%u00a0
Just going to take it as a lesson learned to BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER!!!!!! %u00a0
Agh. So that happened, but so did this soup.%u00a0These pictures are %u00a0the last pictures that I had on my camera sim card that I accidentally %u00a0didn’t remove the last time I loaded up my pictures. After the afternoon and evening of franticly trying to restore my pictures, it was nice little surprise to find one thing left. %u00a0I think it was meant to be, to have to share this soup with the world cause this soup be banging! %u00a0Made all creamy and nice with one of my favorite veggies,%u00a0%u00a0celeriac and broccoli , and a touch of cheeeniess from a little nutritional yeast. A spin on the classic cream of broccoli. A soup so good I ate 3 bowls in one sitting (ok, so they were small bowls, but still) And the last of the photos from before that day that I will recur to now as “Stupid Fucking Computer Day, or SFCD”%u00a0
Anyway, a fantastic soup, a shitty day. But you know what? It could have been a lot worse. I could have totally destroyed everything on my computer or even broke the thing. Sure, I lost a bunch of pictures, but I am ok with it now. I am just taking it like I have a clean slate. %u00a0And now I am going to be way better about backing shit up. %u00a0I will think about it everytime I make soup.%u00a0Maybe it will be my new thing, back computer up %u00a0while I make soup.
The stuff. A big head of broccoli, with a big stalk, some super knobby celeriac, an onion and a couple carrots. Also gonna need a lemon, some garlic and garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and a little olive oil.%u00a0
Start by dicing up the carrot, onion, and the garlic and toss it into a large heavy bottom bot with a drizzle of olive oil. Stick that pot on the stove on medium heat and let those veggies get a kick start in cooking. And now is a good time to dice up the celeriac (I do not peel it, but you can if you want) %u00a0and cut the broccoli florets off of the stalk and dice up the stalk.
Dump the stalk and celeratic into the pot as week, giving it a sprinkle of salt and a splash of water. LEt everything cook for a fe wore minutes, or until the stuff starts to brown and the water is evaporated.
Now pouter in water.. enough to full submerge the veggie goodness. SPrinlle the whole pot with a bit more salt and pepper and add in the garlic pepper. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn heat down to low, stick a litd on it, and list simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
And the veggies are all super nice and tender%u00a0
Now grab your hand blender%u2026 and do what needs to be done. Turn the burner off and %u00a0blend until smooth and creamy. If you need to, add in more water, as much as you like. The more water, the thinner your soup.( IF you add to much, just simmer soup longer and let it cook out)%u00a0Now chop chop chop the broccoli florets into little pieces and dump them into the creamy goodess. Turn the burner back on to medium heat.
Add in the nutritional yeast and the zest of the lemon and and any more salt sand pepper that you like, give it a good stir, and let cook for a few more minutes or unit the little pieces of broccoli are nice and tender.%u00a0
And right when you are ready to serve, add in the juice of the lemon.. or just serve each bowl with a wedge. Garnish with pretty green chopped up broccoli if you like.. some cracked pepper or whatever.%u00a0
And don’t forget a spoon !
Souping.. that what I do.
Now go back up your computer!
Have a great day!
-C
Makes enough for 4-5 people
Grab yourself a big heavy bottom pot and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Chop up the carrot, onion and garlic and toss that stuff %u00a0into the pot. %u00a0Give it a stir and let cook for a few minutes on medium heat.. Meanwhile, chop up the celeriac into small chiunks and %u00a0chop the florets from the broccoli, set floteets aside ,and dice up the remaining parts and stalk of the broccoli. %u00a0Toss the chopped broccoli stalk and the chop celeriac into the pot with the onions and carrots , give the pot a big splash of water, a sprinkle of salt and give it a good stir. Let the veggies cook for a few more minutes or until the water has completely evaporated.%u00a0
Now add in %u00a0water.. enough to fully submerge all the veggies. Add in a little more salt, pepper and the garlic powder, give it all a good stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heart to medium low and cover the pot with a lid. Let veggies simmer for about 20- 25 minutes or until the veggie are nice and tender.%u00a0
Turn heat off and grab the emulsifying blender and blend until smooth (can use a normal blender) Once smooth, chop %u00a0the broccoli florets into little pieces and add to the pot , along with the nutritional yeast, the zest of the lemon,%u00a0%u00a0and any more salt and pepper that you would like. %u00a0Turn heat back on to medium low and continue to cook until the little piece of broccoli are tender.Once ready to serve, add in the juice of the lemon.
Serve in bowls, sprinkle with broccoli bits, pepper or whatever, and eat you heart out. (I ate 3 bowls in one sitting)
FRIDAY%u00a0YEAH YEAH!!!!
And for your Friday, I made these awesome little raw/ vegan/ gluten free cookies.%u00a0
Now wait a minute. Don’t let all the labels of what is not in these cookies scare you away. Just focus on all the stuff that these cookies are made of. Almonds, Cashews, Coconut, Cocoa, Oatmeal. They are cookies made with lots of good yummy stuff that just happened to be enjoyed by those with%u00a0specific food diets as well as%u00a0those who eat anything. A cookie for all!%u00a0%u00a0See, don’t they sound excellent? Yes, yes they do. And they are good. So, so, good.%u00a0Even the mr. is into them. And he is far from being%u00a0raw/vegan/ gluten free.%u00a0
And because these cookies are made%u00a0with all sorts of good for you stuff (lots of proteins,%u00a0good healthy fats, and%u00a0complex carbs) you can pretty much feel zero percent guilt eating them.%u00a0They a%u00a0are a no joke, healthy, energy packed cookies of goodness. A fantastic way%u00a0to start the morning, eat with lunch, as dessert, post work out,%u00a0or eat as a late night snack. (Just don’t eat them all at once)%u00a0
Now go for it!
The raw stuff. A cup of old fashion rolled oat that have been soaking in water for about an hour.%u00a0%u00a0Almonds(which I spent 20 minutes deshelling) cashews, dehydrated coconut flakes, some cocoa powder and a few medjool%u00a0date. If your nuts are unsalted, add a pinch of salt too.%u00a0
Dump everything into %u00a0a food processor. BUT WAIT! Make sure to remove the pits from the dates)I have broken a blade in the past form a date pit)
Blend unit combined and a kind of rough dough is formed. It will be a little sticky. If it;s to sticky to handle, place into the fridge for a few minutes to set up.
Now take blobs of mixture and roll into balls
And you could totally leave them as balls%u2026 you can%u00a0even play with your balls%u2026.
But I think they look nicer squished flat and topped with pieces of nuts and coconut. They look almost fancy, if I do say so myself.
Now have yourself a cookie, and place the rest in the fridge (they get harder and, if you can imagine, taste even better after a few hours of%u00a0cold)
Freak Yeah FRIDAY!%u00a0Do fu stuff!
-C
Makes 15 normal sized cookies (you can make more or less, depending on the ball size)
Add all the ingredients into a food processer and blend until the mixer forms a %u00a0cohesive%u00a0dough. It;s going to be a tad sticky, but if it seems to sticky to handle, refrigerate for a little bit so it’s easier to handle. (I have no problem handling right away)
Scoop %u00a0and roll into balls and either%u00a0leave them as is or%u00a0squish them flat. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and%u00a0coconut
Eat one or two right away, then stick the rest in%u00a0fridge.
A ok to eat as breakfast, with lunch, at dinner, as as snack, a post workout protein, or when sitting on the couch and watching TV.
The past week was freaking gross hot, like sweaty, smelly, I want to live in the Costco walk in freezer hot. But today, well today was the most lovely day. A cool dry 70 with a nice breeze and sunshine. Then around dinnertime, a little bit of rain, followed by a rainbow.%u00a0It%u00a0was the most fantastic perfect weather.This is why I love living in Vermont. We get weather.
.Last night, dinner%u00a0was all about trying to make some more room in the fridge for the farm share pick up tonight and to make something that I didn’t%u00a0have to really watch. (the mr and I were moving the beehive to the roof of the%u00a0house%u00a0so%u00a0I wanted to make something that I could leave%u00a0on the stove and not have to babysit (just stir every now and then).%u00a0With the%u00a0weather being%u00a0so freaking amazing, with a cool crispness in the air,%u00a0%u00a0I was craving something a little more on the warm and comfy side.%u00a0And what do you know, the stuff%u00a0I had%u00a0left in the fridge (there is still a basket of zucchini on the table) was what was%u00a0needed for a big pot of stewed summer ratatouille with lentils.%u00a0It was everthing that I ever could need and want for a meal. Full of the best veggies and%u00a0lentils,%u00a0easy to make, nothing fancy to do. Just stick stuff into a pot and cook until done.%u00a0
Cooler, light long sleeve, kind of%u00a0weather. %u00a0Enough rain where I didn’t have to water the garden, the most perfect pot of the best ratatouille shared with the mr.%u00a0and a feeling of accomplishment and excitement (bees on the roof!).
The perfect night.
The stuff. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, onion, tomatoes and lentils. And we have some fresh basil, fresh oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some salt and pepper.
To get this party started, chop up the onion and toss it into a big heavy pot with a little%u00a0%u00a0olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick on the stove on medium heat.
While the onions are cooking, %u00a0mince up the garlic and chop%u00a0up all the other veggie into%u00a0medium sized chunks.%u00a0
When the onions start to become translucent and smell fantastic,%u00a0add in all the veggies and garlic. Give it a big stir and place back on the stove to cook for a few minutes to let the veggies release some of their liquid.%u00a0
Then add in the lentils along with a equal amount of%u00a0water and top with a lid.
After about 30%u00a0minutes, the lentils should be near done and the veggies tender, the tomatoes pretty much dissolved. Now chop up the basil and oregano and toss it in along with a few swigs of the balsamic vinegar. Give it a stir and keep on cooking for another 10ish%u00a0more minutes or until the lentils are nice and tender.
Scoop onto bowl%u00a0then into mouth. If you like, finish off with a bit more fresh basil or,ike the mr, top with parmesan cheese.
Have a fantastic day! So close to the weekend!!
-C
Makes 2-3 big servings (if serving with pastas or rice, its more like 4-5 servings)
Drizzle a little olive oil into a large pot. Dice up the onion and place on medium heat and cook for a few minutes. Mince up the garlic and chop up the remaining veggies into medium sized pieces. Once the onion is cooke a bit and strting to smell oh so nice,%u00a0toss the veggies and garlic into the pot. Mix, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place a lid on it.%u00a0Cook for a few minutes to draw out a bit of liquid from the veggies. Now add in the lentils and the water. Stick the lid back on and let cook for about 30 minutes on medium low heat or until the lentils are starting to soften.
When the lentils are mostly soft, but still have a bit of biet, dice the fresh herbs and toss into pot with a few swings of balsamic vinegar. %u00a0Stir and cook %u00a0for another 8-10 minutes or until the lentils are full cooked.
Remove from heat and ladle into bowls..
Serve with rice, pasta, bread, a big old pile of fresh greens, or just as it is.
Eats fantastic right aways, or cold late at night standing in front of the fridge..
%u00a0The mr. calls them the beached whales of the garden. One day you have these nice little green gems growing in the garden. You see them from a distance and think, “Oh look at those squash, those are%u00a0%u00a0oh so lovely”%u00a0and then you look away. Maybe you leave and let them%u00a0grow for%u00a0a day or two. Then%u00a0when you come back to look, they%u00a0have%u00a0turned into %u00a0humongous squash that, in fact, look%u00a0like giant green beached whales.
We have been eating%u00a0a lot of those%u00a0beached whale these past few weeks..
Take yesterday for example. I%u00a0%u00a0made zucchini bread, zucchini relish, zucchini pickles and these here zucchini noodles. And that was before I went to the garden and picked 4 more. And today is farm share pick up which%u00a0means I’ll be receiving at least another 8-12 squash.%u00a0And%u00a0did I mention that there are%u00a0currently%u00a06%u00a0large zucchini sitting on my table.
My new life motto as of lately is %u2026.When life gives you zucchini.. just eat the shit%u00a0out of them.
These noodles are%u00a0by far, one of the easiest, and most delicious%u00a0ways to use up a butt load of zucchini. And%u00a0you%u00a0can do it every day.%u00a0I know people that eat pasta like 5 time a week so I don’t think it’s that weird to be eating zucchini noodles every night. The mr. well%u00a0he is eating them like a champ. For a guy that really likes his pasta, he really likes when I make these noodle. And as he%u00a0said%u00a0last night, “who wouldn’t like a bowl of carb free noodles that taste amazing and you can eat as much as you want and not feel like car?”. My responses was,” maybe some asshole? I don’t know”
So%u00a0yeah, zucchini noodles is where its at.%u00a0
The stuff. 2%u00a0big%u00a0zucchinis, a%u00a0large tomato,%u00a0a%u00a0few cloves of garlic, a lemon (or just some lemon juice)%u00a0and a%u00a0handful of fresh basil. Also grab a little olive oil and the%u00a0and salt and pepper.%u00a0
Firstly, turn you squash into noodles. Do it anyway you like.. I used my mandolin slicer to cut “spaghetti” but you can use a julienne slicer, a noodle maker, or even a box grater. Once made, set noodles aside.
Now chop tomato into chunks and%u00a0%u00a0mince garlic. Add to a%u00a0large skillet with a%u00a0drizzle%u00a0of olive oil. Place on medium heat, mix around and cook for a few minutes unit %u00a0garlic becomes fragrant and the tomatoes are soften.%u00a0
Now add in the noodles. %u00a0Just toss right%u00a0into the pan with the galic and tomatoes. Add a splash %u00a0of water, the juice of the lemon and salt and pepper. Keep heat on medium and mix noodles around until slightly soft (or cooked to you liking)
Once your happy with the doneness, remove from heat.
%u00a0Roughly chop or tear the basil into smallish pieces and toss into noodles.
And noodles be done. Now to eating.. and be sure to eat as much as you can, its only zucchini.
Have a good today!
-C
Take zucchini and either with a veggie noodle maker, a juillene peeler, or madoline, %u00a0a box grater, or just some sweets knife skills,%u00a0make the noodles and set aside. Mince garlic and chop%u00a0the tomatoes into chunks add to a large skillet%u00a0with%u00a0a drizzle of olive oil and place on medium heat and cook until %u00a0the tomatoes are soft and the garlic is fragrant.Once that’s cooked,%u00a0place the noodles into the skillet with about 1/4 cup water and the nice of the lemon. Season to taste%u00a0%u00a0with salt and pepper. Mix noodles around and cook%u00a0until slightly tender (cook longer for a more well done noodle)%u00a0Remove from heat. Chop or rip%u00a0up your basil and toss into the noodles and mix around.
And now it’s time.
Place in bowls and fill you mouth hole.
This time of year, there are so many reasons for popsicles, but I think that main reason is that%u00a0I don’t want to willingly turn on the oven for any amount of time. It’s just to f-ing hot.
Lately, it’s been hot. And humid. And gross. Just way%u00a0too hot to make anything in the oven.%u00a0So when I grabbed the rhubarb out of the fridge, knowing that if I didn’t use it soon it would go bad, I immediately thought to make pie. Then I was like,” hell no, not going to happen. I need to freeze this shit”. And freeze it I did..into the greatest, slightly sweet, slightly tart, bright pink popsicles of happiness. They are really the perfect little frozen treat. Not overly sweet and sticky, have a lot a fresh clean flavor, and takes the edge off of the super summer heat and humidity, even if only for a few minutes.%u00a0
I love popsicles.%u00a0
But sadly this is probably the last rhubarb for the season (Or maybe the second to last..I think I saw some for sale at the coop a few days ago)
So get it while you can and make these%u00a0popsicles!%u00a0
The stuff. Rhubarb, a lime and a little bit of honey (or any sweetener you like). Plus you are going to need some water, but I bet you have some of that on hand.
Chop the rhubarb into inch chunks and toss into a big pot with the water. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil then turn heat to low and let simmer.%u00a0
Once the rhubarb is so soft that it falls apart, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
With a fine mesh stainer, strain juice into a large jar or bowl.%u00a0
Now you have the juice for the popsicles and the left over rhubarb stuff%u00a0is the%u00a0rhubarb butter.
Place the%u00a0rhubarb butter into a jar, adding a little honey(or whatever)%u00a0if you want and eat with anything and everything%u00a0%u00a0(%u00a0I’ve been adding%u00a0%u00a0it to the mr’s%u00a0yogurt and just%u00a0eating it with a spoon)
And now add the juice of the%u00a0lime%u00a0to the rhubarb juice and add a little honey or whatever%u00a0sweetness to taste.
And add the rhubarb juice to your popsicle molds and stick in the freezer with sticks tops or wait two hours and add wooden sticks.
When frozen, run the mold under a little hot water and pop those suckers out.
A two for one deal here. And timed perfectly. You%u00a0%u00a0have the rhubarb butter%u00a0to eat while%u00a0you wait%u00a0for the popsicles to freeze.%u00a0So smart
Happy Tuesday.. Keep it cool!
-C
makes 6%u00a04oz popsicles and about a cup of jam
Chop the rhubarb into inch ish chunks and stick into a big pot with water. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is so soft its falling apart. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Take a big jug or bowl with a fine mesh strainer,strain the liquid from the solids. You can use a wooden spoon to stir around to help get the juice flowing. Place remaining solids into a jar and add as little or as much or as little honey (any sweetener you like) and give it a stir. Thats your jam
Now for the popsicles. Add the juice of the lime and a tablespoon or two of honey (or whatever sweeteners you like) and mix around. Pour into popsicle molds and stick into freezer.Know your mold.. if you need to insert a stick, do so after about 2 hours.%u00a0
When pops are frozen, remove from mold and eat your heart out.