Okay, so this is one of the only recipes I have actually enjoyed Dandelion greens in. If you have never had them, they are exceptionally bitter, but really really good for you. I have tried to stem them, and saute them with various things, but with no success....until this recipe. We had Grass fed porter house steaks and a salad with this side dish.
3/4 of a red onion thinly sliced
2 carrots peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 bunch dandelion greens bottom stems removed, rinsed.
1-2 tbsp butter
Pre-heat a cast iron skillet on med-high heat. Once hot, add the butter, carrots, and onions. Saute until onions and carrots are slightly browned and have soften a bit. Stir occasionally, allowing time for the carrots and onions to brown. Once browned lightly remove from the skillet and place in a bowl. Cover to keep warm. Add the washed greens with water still on stems to the cast iron. Cover and remove from heat. Let steam until wilted. Drain water from the greens by lightly pressing them against the side of the skillet. Place drained greens on a cutter board and finely chop.
Add all ingredients together in the skillet and re-warm. When at a serving temp, move to a dish and enjoy!
Dandelion Green, Carrot, and Red onion Sautee
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Labels:
Entree Side Dish Vegetables,
MI: Greens,
MI:carrots
Which Yogurt do I choose?
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Walking down the Dairy aisle in your local store, you are inundated with countless options for yogurt. Where do you begin? You have heard Yogurt is a "health food" and you want your family to benefit from all of it's goodness, but how do you know what is best? Are there bad yogurts? Is there really a difference between the $5 quart and the $2.50 quart? 
Get acquainted with the brands available to you, and do some research online. If it is an organic yogurt, than you know the cows haven't been give Growth Hormone. If it isn't an organic, then check to see if they advertise "no bovine growth hormone" on their site. The one major national chain that is non-organic but BGH free is Brown Cow. Dannon and Yoplait both use BGH.
First step is looking at the labels. The ingredients should be Milk, whole milk, no part skim or low-fat etc. (all will say pasteurized, but you don't want homogenized milk.)
After Milk should come the live culture blend. These vary from brand to brand. There are some that are more beneficial than others, but generally speaking you just need them to be "live." And OF COURSE ALWAYS BY PLAIN!!! YOU CAN ADD IN FRUIT IF YOU CHOOSE!
All ingredients aren't created equal...Let's start with milk...
Ingredient 1: Milk
I'm not going to go into the huge list that might be present on national conventional brands...b/c quite frankly it would be impossible to cover them, and they are frequently changing additives etc.
If you are using yogurt and you love your brand, and it is a good quality one, please share your information with us.
Get acquainted with the brands available to you, and do some research online. If it is an organic yogurt, than you know the cows haven't been give Growth Hormone. If it isn't an organic, then check to see if they advertise "no bovine growth hormone" on their site. The one major national chain that is non-organic but BGH free is Brown Cow. Dannon and Yoplait both use BGH.
First step is looking at the labels. The ingredients should be Milk, whole milk, no part skim or low-fat etc. (all will say pasteurized, but you don't want homogenized milk.)
After Milk should come the live culture blend. These vary from brand to brand. There are some that are more beneficial than others, but generally speaking you just need them to be "live." And OF COURSE ALWAYS BY PLAIN!!! YOU CAN ADD IN FRUIT IF YOU CHOOSE!
All ingredients aren't created equal...Let's start with milk...
Ingredient 1: Milk
- Ideal circumstance is milk from Grass Fed Jersey Cows (why jersey? They produce the highest butterfat ratio milk which makes them ideal for yogurt without stabilizers or thickeners). If the brand isn't grass feeding, but they are jersey cows, it is at least one step up. Notice there is no preference here about organic vs. conventional. This yogurt is the one that would be far superior in any category, organic or conventional. The only brand I know of that is sold in larger chain store is "Hawthorne Valley." You can find them at Whole Foods Grocery Stores and Wegmans Stores alike...it is priced in the mid 4's at Wegmans and I believe high 3's at Whole Foods
- Next in line is milk from organically fed jersey cows or another variety. At least you know they haven't been eating tons of GMOed corn and pesticide ridden nonsense....
And they will be antibiotic free...another plus.
- next in line is conventional Jersey Cow or other cows that haven't been treated with BGH.
- lastly we have our conventional national brands.
I'm not going to go into the huge list that might be present on national conventional brands...b/c quite frankly it would be impossible to cover them, and they are frequently changing additives etc.
- Inulin: A popular additive in Organic brands (Stoneyfield to just name one). So, just b/c it is in an organic product doesn't mean that it is good for you. There are definitely 2 sides of the coin on this, but most importantly they really have done no extended studies on this substance. It is naturally occurring and found primarily in substances like the Jerusalem artichoke, and in small amounts in onions. The caveat with it, however, is that it is an isolated substance that is being widely produced as a "sugar" substitute type substance. I hope we have learned our lesson over the years of isolating a single compound out of a "natural" fruit or plant and extensively using it without the other naturally occurring counterparts. (Sucrose would be one, as would Splenda) We know the effects of Table Sugar, and while it is natural, I don't think anyone would argue it is Good for us.
- Inulin is said to to be a pre-biotic which helps in the production of more probiotics... This could be a good thing... Research has also shown that b/c it completely by passing the upper gut and goes right into the colon it feeds a really negative bacteria that is associated with leaky gut syndrome and candida infections. Introduction of inulin to an individuals system can produce no results or that similar to a food allergy or sensitivity...gas, upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation, headache, etc.
- Another popular one is Pectin:
- This is has been around for quite some time. It is used as a stabilizer or thickener in yogurts. You will frequently find this in yogurt where the cows aren't grass fed simply b/c a non-grass fed cow's milk contains less butterfat. In order for the yogurt to "set-up" to a consistency that most American favor, they add in the Pectin. If you search for European style yogurt, you might have some luck in finding yogurt without pectin.
- Pectin again is a plant cell wall isolate. There have been no negative studies that suggest pectin to have an adverse health effect. It is just as sign that the milk for the yogurt was unhealthy...
If you are using yogurt and you love your brand, and it is a good quality one, please share your information with us.
Whole Wheat Biscuits and Pot Pie Crust
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Labels:
Breads/Biscuits/Muffins,
MI: Wheat
These are really versitile. I usually don't roll them out, I just do drop biscuits and it works fine!
2 cups spring whole wheat flour (white whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk or heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
1/2 cup butter melted
Mix all dry ingredients together in a bag or bowl and shake well to combine. Add in the butter and cut well. Add in the milk or cream and blend until well combined...don't over mix. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Drop biscuits by the spoonful on stoneware or sil-pated bake sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.
This also can be used for the pot pie crust. If that is the case, split the dough in 2 and roll out into 2 9.5 inch in diameter circles.
2 cups spring whole wheat flour (white whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk or heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
1/2 cup butter melted
Mix all dry ingredients together in a bag or bowl and shake well to combine. Add in the butter and cut well. Add in the milk or cream and blend until well combined...don't over mix. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Drop biscuits by the spoonful on stoneware or sil-pated bake sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.
This also can be used for the pot pie crust. If that is the case, split the dough in 2 and roll out into 2 9.5 inch in diameter circles.
Chocolate Chip Cookies "Classic"
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Labels:
Desserts: Cookies,
MI: Chocolate
These are amazing...okay, well I think so:) They fall into the classic category, which means the flour isn't soaked, and they definitely contain more sugar etc. than I would recommend for an everyday item...but they are great on special occasions!
2 sticks of butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup evap. cane juice crystals
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups spring whole wheat flour (also known as White Wheat, I use Montana mills)
1 bag chocolate chips
The method is what gives these cookies their special trade-mark! Make sure your butter is room temp, Melted, runny butter just won't due! Place your room temperature butter in a kitchen aid mixing bowl. Beat the butter until light and fluffy.
Add the brown and white sugars and continue to beat until well blended.
Add the eggs next. Put the beater on med-low speed. You don't want to whip the eggs into the batter or you will have an airy batter and dry cookies. Beat the eggs in until well blended and add the vanilla mix the batter until it has a consistent color.
Turn mixer off.
In a separate bag or bowl add all the dry ingredients together and shake until well blended. Turn the mixer on stir and slowly add the flour mixture which should contain the chips until well blended and moist.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet and cook in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 6-10 minutes until done. They should be an extremely light tan color! Don't over bake. Remove from the oven before they turn brownish in color. They are meant to be a soft chewy cookie.
A note on equipment: I highly recommend the sil-pat for baking cookies on. They allow you bake amazingly with really cheap pans! If you have them in your collection stoneware is also amazing for this recipe!
2 sticks of butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup evap. cane juice crystals
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups spring whole wheat flour (also known as White Wheat, I use Montana mills)
1 bag chocolate chips
The method is what gives these cookies their special trade-mark! Make sure your butter is room temp, Melted, runny butter just won't due! Place your room temperature butter in a kitchen aid mixing bowl. Beat the butter until light and fluffy.
Add the brown and white sugars and continue to beat until well blended.
Add the eggs next. Put the beater on med-low speed. You don't want to whip the eggs into the batter or you will have an airy batter and dry cookies. Beat the eggs in until well blended and add the vanilla mix the batter until it has a consistent color.
Turn mixer off.
In a separate bag or bowl add all the dry ingredients together and shake until well blended. Turn the mixer on stir and slowly add the flour mixture which should contain the chips until well blended and moist.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet and cook in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 6-10 minutes until done. They should be an extremely light tan color! Don't over bake. Remove from the oven before they turn brownish in color. They are meant to be a soft chewy cookie.
A note on equipment: I highly recommend the sil-pat for baking cookies on. They allow you bake amazingly with really cheap pans! If you have them in your collection stoneware is also amazing for this recipe!
Gluten Allergies
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Those of you who followed my other blog know that my son N is extremely allergic to Gluten, and most other grains! For those of you who are in this category, you are in luck. I am constantly trying to adjust and come up with new recipes that are gluten free!
No more looking at blog after blog or recipe site after recipe site only to find that 90% of the information on it doesn't apply to you.
You will notice that I use oats and barley in recipes. I know these are sensitive grains for some, and not others, if you need specific adjustments to a recipe listed with these flours b/c you can't have them, please leave a comment and I will try my best to adjust it for you (and for anyone else in the same situation) N fortunately can have both of these...
I have found success cooking with alternative grains by adjusting the cooking time to longer, adding 1 tsp baking powder per cup of alternative flour, and reducing the liquid in the recipe by almost a 1/4.
It is also important to mix your gluten free flours. Some gluten free options are "binding," and others are crumbly. You need to try to get a good mix of binding to sticky flours. The best written example of all these flours can be found at the Weston A Price Foundation website.
If you are in a boat where you happen to have a gluten, rice, and basic starch allergy...I can empathize. N's diet is there... To this you need to learn to adjust what you are looking for. There are some recipes that can be replaced with all Millet flour for example, but some just don't work. Check back and I will let you know which ones I have success with and which ones just didn't work.
Good luck!
No more looking at blog after blog or recipe site after recipe site only to find that 90% of the information on it doesn't apply to you.
You will notice that I use oats and barley in recipes. I know these are sensitive grains for some, and not others, if you need specific adjustments to a recipe listed with these flours b/c you can't have them, please leave a comment and I will try my best to adjust it for you (and for anyone else in the same situation) N fortunately can have both of these...
I have found success cooking with alternative grains by adjusting the cooking time to longer, adding 1 tsp baking powder per cup of alternative flour, and reducing the liquid in the recipe by almost a 1/4.
It is also important to mix your gluten free flours. Some gluten free options are "binding," and others are crumbly. You need to try to get a good mix of binding to sticky flours. The best written example of all these flours can be found at the Weston A Price Foundation website.
If you are in a boat where you happen to have a gluten, rice, and basic starch allergy...I can empathize. N's diet is there... To this you need to learn to adjust what you are looking for. There are some recipes that can be replaced with all Millet flour for example, but some just don't work. Check back and I will let you know which ones I have success with and which ones just didn't work.
Good luck!
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