Fried Mush

This is not a fancy recipe or anything particularly new but it is a good idea..both frugal and very good for you. It is also fairly quick if you are prepared...especially when those little ones are hungry at your feet. ;-)

I have adapted this recipe from Nourishing Traditions, a whole foods cookbook developed by a chemist and a nutritionist who publish for the Westin A. Price Foundation. If you don't know who Westin A. Price is, please see this video for a brief biography on him and why his research is both important and interesting on traditional food ways.

The recipe:

After soaking organic steel cut oats in warm water and 1 Tbsp plain yogurt or kefir ( the ratio is one cup of grains to one cup of water to one tablespoon kefir/yogurt ) for 12 hours or more, and then cooking and then eating! Why do I soak my grains? In this video explaining soaking grains briefly, you will also get other ideas and a free muffin recipe that I have not yet tried. I did watch it and she puts rapadura sugar in these muffins...yum! Anyway, when you have leftovers of this porridge ( I always make enough for leftovers ) that is what you use for the fried mush.

Mix 1 1/2 cups oats with one egg lightly beaten and fry in iron skillet in butter until crispy or almost crispy. Serve with Cheryl's yummy maple syrup and butter drizzle on top. I could not find it but she posted it on this blog. I do not remember the ratio of syrup to butter...I just eye ball it from making it the first time.

We eat this usually the day after making oatmeal and I love to serve it with oven baked bacon on the side. Yum!

Festival Spice Muffins

I made these muffins this morning from the Tassajara Bread Book and they are so yummy. They have a very light and pleasant flavor. I might make them tomorrow too...they are really good! Enjoy!

2 c whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t mace
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t allspice
1/4 t ginger
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c oil or melted butter
1/4-1/2 c honey or molasses (i used about 1/3 c honey)
1 1/2 c milk

Preheat oven to 400. Combine dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl combine the wet ingredients. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together with as few strokes as possible, just until the flour is moistened, leaving a few clumps. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake for about 15-18 minutes.

Mexican Taco Stew

This soup is perfect for these cold winter nights. I served it with Mandi's cornbread. Enjoy!

1/2 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cups chicken broth
1 large zucchini or summer squash, cut into small cubes
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup medium salsa

Brown meat in a large pot over medium high heat. Drain, remove and set aside. In the same pot, sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add meat back to pot and sprinkle mixture with taco seasoning to blend. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes.

Yummy pancakes

(this is not a picture of the pancakes from the pancake recipe below. the ones in this recipe are so fluffy, it's crazy.)

I am in love with these pancakes! I've always been a Bisquick user, but these pancakes put the Bisquick ones to shame.

Thought I would share this recipe today in case you want to make them for your family in the morning. Much love and raving will be the result.

For regular pancakes...

1 1/2 cup flour (I used white, but next time I'm using wheat)
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 T sugar
1 1/4 c. milk
1 egg
3 T melted butter

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl. Then mix the two together.

For our favorite kind...banana/cinnamon pancakes...

1 1/2 cup flour (I used white, but next time I'm using wheat)
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 T Sugar
1 T Cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. milk
1 banana, mashed
3 T melted butter

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl. Then mix the two together.

I times this recipe by four (I'm feeding six of us). That way we have a bunch to eat for dinner (or breakfast), plus a few mornings worth of pancakes with the leftovers.

These are the fattest, fluffiest, most divine pancakes I've ever eaten.

Seriously Good Spice Cake

I posted this also on our family blog but thought I mosey on over here and post it as well since I'm honestly not on the up and up with posting here.

I got this recipe from Tammy's Recipes.

There are a lot of great recipes on this site all made from scratch. I have to modify some ingredients, but overall I thoroughly love browsing through a lot of her recipes.

If you are ever in a "what in tarnation do I fix for dinner??" rut, check her out. The website is filled with lots of wonderful menu ideas.

There is even a recipe on how to make your own "Cream of Chicken Soup" so you don't have to buy the canned stuff. I've tried it in various casseroles when I can slip a casserole by Farmer J and the soup has turned out wonderfully.

Here is the recipe for the yummy spice cake. I honestly don't like molasses too much. But, it tastes good in this cake. I substituted the flour for 100% whole wheat flour and it was still really moist and yummy!

Oatmeal Spice Cake

1 1/2 cups flour (I used 100% whole wheat)
1 cup quick oats
1 cup brown sugar (I used organic)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened or melted
1 cup water
2 eggs
2 tablespoons molasses

Coconut Topping Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar (I used organic)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons light cream or whole milk (I used raw milk)

Instructions:

1. Measure all cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, and then for 3 minutes on high.

2. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool cake slightly.

3. To make coconut topping, melt butter in sauce pan. Add brown sugar and stir over medium heat until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add coconut, pecans, and cream. Spread topping over cake and broil cake for 2-3 minutes, until topping is bubbly and browned.

Enjoy!
Lynsey

Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad

The whole family enjoys this recipe - also very colorful.

Broccoli Salad:
1 bunch fresh broccoli tips
1 head cauliflower (broken up) small pieces
1 red onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 C. celery, diced
1 small jar pimentos

DRESSING:
1c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. oil
1 t. dry mustard (can use prepared)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix vegetables together and toss dressing in. Let set an hour or so before serving.

This makes a large salad - I sometimes only use half and you can save half of the dressing until ready to use with remaining salad.

Favorite Broccoli Recipes

Since broccoli keeps being on sale at the grocery store, I've been trying to find yummy reasons to buy it.

Here are three of my favorite things to do with broccoli these days. If you have other broccoli ideas, I'd love to hear them.

I don't have pictures of these recipes because let's face it...I'm doing good to get this stuff cooked up. I never remember to grab a camera when little hands are grabbing at their dinner.

Broccoli Salad Number One

Lynsey's recipe is delicious. Just wanted to vouch for that one.

Broccoli Salad Number Two

I got this from my friend, Ashley.

I could eat my weight in this stuff.

If anyone knows of a healthier way to "do the mayonnaise thing" I'd love to know your mayo ways.

2-4 bunches of Broccoli

1/2 pound bacon fried and crumbled

1 C red onion chopped

1C raisins

1 large block mozarella cheese cut in cubes

Sauce-
2 C mayo

4T vinegar

1/2 C sugar

Pour sauce over ingredients above.

You can cut this recipe in half, it makes a lot.

When we eat those salads, we usually have the salad and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. Our favorite way to do grilled cheese these days is to use homemade bread and sliced cheddar cheese. Yum.

Whole Wheat Linguine with Broccoli

Here is the original recipe from the Whole Foods Cook Book if you want to do things by the book:

1 pound whole wheat linguine or spaghetti
olive oil
1 head of broccoli, trimmed and cut into small florets
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup pine nuts, toasted
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the noodles separate. Toast the pine nuts in olive oil and set aside. Cook broccoli in olive oil in a skillet on the stove for about five minutes. You may need to add a little bit of water as the broccoli is cooking to keep it from burning. Add garlic and red chili flakes. Saute one minute. In a large bowl combine the cooked wheat noodles and broccoli mixture. Add the tamari, cheese and pine nuts. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Now...

I made it that way originally and it tasted like a big pile of nothing. I was very disappointed.

So, I tweaked it a bit and this is now one of our favorite recipes. There are times when we eat it once a week.

I double this recipe when I make it. It makes enough to feed our family of 6 and then we have enough to eat for lunch for several days.

Here's the recipe I use...

2 pound whole wheat linguine or spaghetti
olive oil
2 heads of broccoli, trimmed and cut into small florets
leftover cooked chicken breast (this is optional, but my family likes it with meat in it)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
10 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
1 bag or 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 bag pine nuts, toasted
10 tablespoons of lemon
salt and pepper to taste


Cook the noodles separate. Toast the pine nuts in olive oil and set aside. Cook broccoli in olive oil in a skillet on the stove for about five minutes. You may need to add a little bit of water as the broccoli is cooking to keep it from burning. Add garlic and red chili flakes. Saute one minute. In a large bowl combine the cooked wheat noodles and broccoli mixture. Add the tamari, cheese and pine nuts. Add the lemon juice and lots of pepper. It's good when it's peppery. I don't add salt because the tamari or soy sauce is already salty.

Yum! Yay for broccoli!