Chocolate Truffle Cocktail

Variation 1
Equal Parts:
White zinfandel or other dry white wine
Vodka
Cranberry juice
Cashew milk - A brand called Whitewash is the absolute best for this drink.
Chocolate or coffee liqueur

Variation 2 - Non Alcoholic version
Equal parts:
Sparkling cider
Cranberry juice
Cashew milk
Chocolate syrup

Variation 3 - Dairy version
Equal parts:
White zinfandel
Vodka
Cranberry juice
Heavy whipping cream
Chocolate or coffee liqueur

Pour over ice and enjoy. Some people might like this drink without ice. I like the coffee liqueur better, but either of these flavorful liqueurs will work. This could definitely work as a dessert.

Yams with Fruit

We eat yams year round, but it seems they should get dressed up for the holidays. Any fruit will work - pears, apples, persimmon, oranges - anything that can be sliced.

Slice the potatoes and fruit into a casserole dish of any size.

Make a baking sauce using any or all of the following ingredients:

Bacon grease or olive oil

Butter

Salt

Cinnamon

Curry powder

Pinch of rosemary or thyme

Fruit juice

Almond extract or vanilla

Honey or maple syrup

Amounts are not too critical. I used about a third cup of the butter mix, a quarter cup of fruit juice and 3 tablespoons of honey. Spice to taste. You can veer toward sweet or savory. I used more curry than cinnamon. Melt the butter sauce, add spices and pour over the slices.

Sprinkle some chopped pecans or walnuts over the top. Bake covered with foil for 1/2 hour. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more - all at 350 degrees.

Serve at any meal. This makes a great breakfast, a popular side or a good one-dish meal.

Oxtail Soup

This is an oldie but goodie that a few folks will recognize from their childhood. The bone broth is what gives this soup it's rich flavor.

4 or 5 oxtail bones in 3 - 4 quarts water
Herb blend  (There are several that might work. One called Garlic and Herb Sensation by Spice Hunter seems to work well.)
Salt and pepper
 
Simmer for several hours until meat has fallen off bones Scoop out bones with a slotted spoon.
Refrigerate overnight and remove most, but not all, of the fat layer that has risen to the top.
Return to simmer. This is what the bones will look like when the meat has fallen off. There may also be a few smaller pieces to fish out.

Add some more herb mix and salt and pepper and 3/4 cup red wine. A Cabernet or Merlot, among many others, would be fine.

After the soup is reduced about 1/2 inch, add 3/4 cup pearl barley.
While barley is cooking, chop and saute the following vegetables in olive oil:
1 cup each of
Carrots
Leeks
Onion
Celery
Parsnips
Peeled tomatoes with seeds removed

Add 1 cup chopped mushrooms and 4 - 6 cloves minced garlic to the saute mix just before finishing.

Do not let the vegetables get soft. Add herbs and salt to the saute mix.

Add vegetables to the soup about 45 min before serving.

Serve with crackers or slices of avocado.

Note: The soup is actually made with beef tail bones. No oxen are needed.

Learn something new everyday or you're cheating yourself. Emeril Lagasse

Blueberry Custard - Dairy Free version

1 cup fresh blueberries or 1 cup frozen blueberries - thawed and drained
Chopped peaches, strawberries or raspberries are other great options.
2 cups canned, full fat coconut milk (Cashew or other nut milks will work, but coconut has more fat, so it makes a creamier custard.)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 to 3/4 cup honey - depending on your preference for sweetness

1. Beat eggs.

2. Add milk, vanilla and honey. Add fruit last.

3. Ladle into glass or ceramic custard cups - fill about 3/4 full.

You can use a glass pie plate or baking dish if you don't have custard cups.

4. Place custard cups or glass dish on a cookie sheet filled with water; set oven at 350 degrees.

5. Bake for about 40 minutes or until middle is set - no longer liquid.

6. Chill and serve.

 For the ultra-rich dairy version, click here:
http://foodforthoughtcookbook.blogspot.com/2013/02/blueberry-rum-custard.html

Someone sits in the shade today because someone else planted a tree long ago.
Warren Buffet

Spice Up Your Breakfast

When I talk about spices, they are very often the chili pepper kind, but this simple breakfast is made with the kind of spices you usually use in desserts.

This is an easy breakfast and will take you only a matter of a few minutes to make.

1 container of firm organic tofu
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
dash of cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nuts - cashews, pecans or walnuts
1 tablespoon sesame seeds or chia seeds

Melt the oil, crumble in the tofu, add the rest of the ingredients and heat until everything is thoroughly mixed.
In just 5 minutes, you have a tasty breakfast with protein and plenty of healthy fats. You won't be hungry for a long time.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Unknown

Fennel Slaw

Have you seen these beauties at the farmer's market and wondered what to do with them? They are full of flavor and they are very versatile. They can be sauteed just like onions and garlic and added to meat and vegetable dishes, but the best new thing I've found is to use them in a crunchy, tangy salad.

Chop: 
1 peeled apple
3 stalks celery
1 fennel bulb
1/2 small cabbage
A few of the fennel "feathers"

Grate:
3 large, peeled carrots

Mix the chopped and peeled vegetables together and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a couple tablespoons of lemon or lime juice.

Mix with 1/2 - 3/4 cup of a creamy salad dressing. Avocado, honey mustard or ranch are all great options.

Take this to your next picnic or barbeque. It will be a hit.

Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside.
Stephen Covey

Orange is the New Delicious

Chia buckwheat pancakes are a staple at our house, and the toppings are a great opportunity for variety. I was recently given a nice basket of freshly picked oranges and one of the many ways I have used the juice is to make a delicious, fragrant pancake syrup.

Use:
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup butter

Heat these ingredients in a small saucepan until they are simmering slowly.

Stir:
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch into 3 tablespoons of water and add this mix very slowly to the warm syrup. Stir thoroughly and remove from heat.

This is a quick process, so you will be able to do it just before cooking the pancakes and have a nice warm fruit sauce for your pancakes. If you are lucky enough to have rhubarb where you live, a little rhubarb sauce added to the orange honey sauce would be grand!

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Viktor Frankl

Real Food Menu Ideas

 Introduction

If you don’t eat want to eat from the menu that has been coming at you for your whole life through advertising, your own history or what’s on grocery shelves, it is easy to get stuck on occasion and not be able to think of what to fix. Most of us have been programmed to think in terms of a merry-go-round of pizza, spaghetti, deep fried food, and sandwiches. These are the eating solutions for people without time to cook, and they are engineered to be cheap, fast, and hyper-palatable. When you attempt to abandon those things, it’s easy to get frustrated. Sometimes simple fatigue gets in the way of thinking about what to eat.

These menu ideas are predicated on several ideas that run counter to common wisdom – namely the low fat, low calorie, low salt and low cholesterol advice. These recipes use fats generously; they use grains and legumes sparingly; they use very few processed or packaged products, and they assume that you want to use no seed oils, no added sugar, and no wheat flour. 

The menus are organized to use the same grocery list throughout the week. There are four rather than seven days listed for two reasons: one is to allow for some meals eaten out (take-out or restaurants) and the other is to allow for using up leftovers.The cooking can be spaced in any way that fits your schedule.

Where to find the time to cook? There are a couple of possibilities. One is to batch cook on the weekends or whenever you have a larger than normal chunk of time. The other is to delete something else from your schedule, if possible. A third possibility is to enlist more people to help and share the joy of cooking!

A Very Brief List of Books and Podcasts

     

Books	Podcasts
Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz *	Livin’ La Vida Low Carb by Jimmy Moore
Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It by Gary Taubes *	The Sane Show by Jonathan Bailor
Fat Chance by Robert Lustig *	Dishing Up Nutrition by Darlene Kvist
Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan *	Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper
The Great Cholesterol Myth by Sinatra and Bowden *	Good Food Eating by Jedha Dening
Grain Brain by David Perlmutter	Revolution Health Radio by Chris Kresser
Wheat Belly by William Davis	Fat Burning Man by Abel James

*These are reviewed on The Mike and Susan Reading List.

 

Real Food Menu Ideas - Example 1

Breakfast	Green Smoothie: Chard, spinach, banana, canned coconut milk, berries, nut butter	Uncured bacon Scrambled eggs	Kale/Mushroom Quiche	Twice baked potatoes
Lunch	Green Salad with Smoked trout, cucumber, tomato, carrots, apple and dressing	Turkey tacos with Anaheim peppers and garlic Garnish with cheese, avocado, tomato and salsa (Rice optional)	Turkey Vegetable soup	Turkey Vegetable or Greens/Leek soup
Dinner	Roast turkey with vegetables After roasting 1 ½ hours, put an onion or two in the cavity and place potatoes and carrots around turkey.	Greens and Leek soup	Baked Potato Bar with ground beef, grated cheese, butter, sour cream, salsa, chives	Shish kabobs with shrimp, (steak) and veggies
Groceries	Eggs/Meat/Cheese	Produce	Staples	Spices
	10 – 12 pound turkey 1 pound ground beef  1 ½ pounds Shrimp 1 pound Steak 2 cans smoked trout Cheddar/Swiss/Goat cheese Eggs Uncured Bacon	Chard, Kale, spinach, red leaf lettuce, Tomatoes, Berries, Cucumber, Apple Avocado, Mushrooms Potatoes, russet and red Broccoli, Carrots, Onions,  leeks, Peas, Anaheim and bell peppers, bananas, garlic,	Sour cream Butter Nut butter Corn tortillas Coconut/almond milk OR half and half Olive oil Balsamic vinegar Mustard Rice Tahini	Chives Basil Chili Powder or flakes Salt Pepper Worcestershire or tamari Salsa

Real Food Menu Ideas – Example 2

Breakfast	Eggs and Sausage	Chia Pancakes with Berries	Tomato Basil Quiche	Oat Nut Breakfast Bars
Lunch	Potato Soup	No Pasta Lasagna	White Bean Chili	Grilled Fish with Green Salad
Dinner	Roast Pork with Vegetables	No-Stir Fry with Pork	Pizza with cauliflower crust	Ratatouille
Groceries	Eggs/Meat/Cheese	Produce	Staples	Spices and Herbs
	1 pound breakfast sausage 4 – 5 pound pork roast 1 ½ pound grounds beef OR Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan Cheeses 1 ½  pounds fish 1 pound chicken, fresh or canned  Eggs Monterey Jack cheese	Corn, fresh or frozen Artichoke hearts, canned or frozen Onion Potatoes Summer squash, 4 + pounds Greens: chard, spinach, lettuce Leeks Broccoli Carrots Parsnips Eggplant Tomatoes, 6 large or 10 medium Poblano or Anaheim pepper Berries, fresh or frozen Cauliflower Bell peppers	Butter Olive oil Corn starch Tamari Half and half OR Almond/coconut milk Marinara sauce, canned or homemade Chia seeds Buckwheat groats Navy beans Diced green chilies, canned Cashews Peanut or almond butter Dried cranberries Honey Rolled oats	Salt Pepper Garlic Chives Chili powder Basil Vanilla Cinnamon Cardamom Bouillon Italian seasoning blend Nutmeg Cloves

 


These plans should feed four people quite easily.

NO-STIR FRY

 This is as much of a concept as it is a recipe. In a traditional stir fry, the meat and various vegetables are added at different times depending on how much cooking they require. In this lazy version, those differences are managed with layering. And the cook gets to put his or her feet up while the veggies fend for themselves.


Minced garlic
Sliced: carrots, golden beets, leeks, red and yellow peppers, and
Savoy cabbage
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or pork spiced with salt, turmeric and chili pepper flakes (Use sauteed tofu or leave out meat for a vegetarian dish.)

1. Layer the garlic, carrots, and beets on the bottom of a skillet that has been coated generously with olive oil.

2. Adjust heat to a low setting. Sprinkle a little herbed salt on each layer

3. Add peppers and leeks. Spread the cabbage over the peppers and leeks.

4. Then add the cooked chicken on the very top. Cover, mix the sauce, and go read a book for 15 or 20 minutes.

5. Sauce: 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari 1 tablespoon raw honey 1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon corn starch Mix sauce ingredients and set aside.

6. Add sauce to vegetables when they are cooked. Turn the heat up for a minute or two and then stir. The sauce will thicken and coat the vegetables.

You can obviously substitute other vegetables and meat in this mix. Simply put the long cooking veggies on the bottom and the fast cooking ones nearer the top. Since the meat is already cooked, it goes on the very top and gets stirred in at the end when the sauce is mixed in.

Serve with rice. Add turmeric to your rice for a pretty color and place a scoop right on top of the meat and vegetables.

Best Tomato Soup Ever

This tomato soup recipe is based on the traditional Italian vodka sauce recipe, but without the 

vodka. Carrots are what give the vodka sauce it's sweetness, so they are included here to 

balance the acidity of the fresh tomatoes.

4 medium size carrots - peeled and diced 

12 medium tomatoes - peeled

4 cloves garlic

1 medium onion - cut into chunks 

4 cups chicken or turkey broth 

Tarragon, salt, pepper, basil 

Creme fraiche (Substitute whole fat coconut milk for a dairy free option)

1/2 cup hand grated Parmesan cheese (Leave out for dairy free)

1/3 cup red wine 
2 cups chopped, cooked turkey 

1/2 cup cooked rice (brown, white or wild)

1. Chop the garlic, onion and carrots; put in slow cooker on high  

2. Blanch* and peel the tomatoes. Chop these and remove some of the seeds, 

but don't worry too much about seeds. add them to the cooker. 

3. Add broth and let this simmer slowly for 2-3 hours until the carrots and onions 

are very soft. Cook your rice while the vegetables are simmering and set it aside.

4. Remove from heat. Let cool. If you want to do this over two days, 

you can refrigerate the soup at this point. 

5. Use a hand blender to puree the tomato carrot mix. You can do this 
while the soup is warm, but avoid blending while hot for all kinds of obvious 
reasons. 

6. Return to slow cooker on high setting and add red wine, rice, cooked turkey 

and spices. 

7. Stir in the creme fraiche and the Parmesan cheese. If you're going dairy free, 

simply add some full fat coconut milk instead.

8. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. 

9. Enjoy! 

*To blanch the tomatoes, immerse them in boiling water for about a 

minute and a half. Cool and peel. The skins should slip off easily. 

Setbacks are inevitable; misery is a choice.

WB Yeats