Black & Blue Clafouti

Inspired by a cherry clafouti photo in "Canning for a new generation" and then this post
decided to make a clafouti with blackberries and blueberries (since that's what I had!).

I had thought with a french name it would be complicated, but really it's like an oven baked pancake or dutch baby, just with fruit/berries! So this came together quite quickly- my only complaint is that it heated up the house. It's quite lovely and would make a great dinner party dessert or poluck dish.

Since I don't keep milk in the house, I had to sub out for rice milk. I omitted preheating the oven (always the dare-devil I like to check which things really need a preheat versus not)... and next time I'd definitely preheat the oven. The cake batter seeped to the bottom- I think it would be better distributed if placed in a preheated hot oven.

Note: it is quite wobbly when hot- so I'd advise scooping with spoons (or prep in individual ramekins!). Or let it cool and it will slice easier. We actually preferred the flavor and textures of cold clafouti. It makes a good breakfast :)

Method:
Layer 10 -16 oz of berries (blackberries & blueberries or any kind you like) in a pie pan.

Beat 4 eggs with electric mixer until frothy. Add 1/4 C sugar and continue beating.

Add 1 C milk or non dairy mylk (I used rice milk) and stir.

Finally add:
1/8 tea salt
1/2 C flour (I used whole wheat white flour)
1 TB lemon juice
optional: almond or vanilla extract

Pour this liquid over the berries in the pie pan. Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes or until set.

Serve hot or cold. (slices better when cold, or use spoon when hot)

Purple Cauliflower Biyrani (Indian rice pilaf)

How do you make a full dinner dish out of famer's market cauliflower? Usually cauliflower takes a side role, roasted with peas to go with curry or grilled with something else on the bbq.

This is a one dish rice dinner that uses up lots of veggies! It's a cross between a biyrani and pilaf. The one cup of rice cooks up to make quite a lot of food- so you can make it for company, or know you'll have lunch leftovers! Reheats well.

Method:
In large pan, heat until seeds start to pop:
olive oil
2 tea mustard seeds
2 tea cumin seeds

After about 60 seconds, then add 1/2 to 1 diced onion and a sprinkle of salt and cook until onion starts to brown.

Next add and stir for 30 seconds:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB grated ginger
1 tea garam masala
1 tea corriander

Add 1 C white basmati rice to the the oil and spice mix and toast for 60 seconds. (I normally use brown basmati in other dishes, but it takes longer to cook. If you use brown, then add the veggies after the rice is cooked partially so the veggies don't get soggy).

Now add a few cups of hot water and stir in:
chopped purple cauliflower
optional diced purple cabbage
optional any other veggies you want to add (green beans, carrots, celery?) 

Make sure it's got enough water to cook the rice (i.e. looks watery in the pan). Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Once rice is cooked through, add:
cashew
green peas

Season with turmeric, amchur/amchoor (or substitute lemon juice), and salt.

Serve hot.

Tomato Basil Bacon Zucchini Pasta

Inspired by this post to try blanching the zucchini pasta, and to try bacon/tomato/basil as a topping.

I thought it would be good (really anything with bacon is good) but this was excellent.  It made it to the "Favorites List" immediately. And I think I could make it for guests (albeit with some strange looks but upon one taste I'm sure all would be pleased).

I love that this comes together quickly once the chopping/prep is done, and doesn't really heat up the house as it is all stove top- thus the perfect summer weeknight meal.

Method
For two people, can double for more. 

Get a pot of water boiling with a teaspoon of salt. 

Slice 2 small zucchini into noodle strands (I use a gadget I bought in Japan that makes 1/8" by 1/8" noodles when you drag it along the zucchini).

Chop 1 large tomato (or a pint of cherry tomatoes) into chunks.

Slice large handful of basil into ribbons. 

Chop odds and ends of bacon (these are cheaper than full slices at the meat counter) into bit size pieces.  I'm approximating 2-4 oz of bacon?

Once the water is at or nearing a boil, start sauteing the bacon in a dry pan.  Cook until bacon is browned on both sides, nearly completed cooking.

Put zucchini strands into the boiling water and boil (blanch) for 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes and basil and cracked black pepper to the hot bacon pan- careful it will splatter. Stir around and get the chunks at the bottom of the pan to incorporate with the bacon-fat-tomato-juice liquids.

When zucchini noodles are done, drain in colander.

Scoop up bacon/tomato/basil mixture and plop over each portion of strained zucchini noodles. Serve immediately.

Easy Whole Wheat Banana Buttermilk Pancakes

These are simple and the ingredients are easy to remember (one, one, one, one)!

Mix together:
1 C buttermilk (or milk or rice milk)
1-2 bananas, mashed
1 egg

Add and stir in:
1 C whole wheat white flour
1/4 to 1/2 tea salt
optional: cinnamon

Fry up in small pancake rounds using 1 TB butter.

Serves 2 as big breakfast or dinner. 

Good as is, or drizzled with maple syrup, additional bananas, and/or toasted walnuts.

Beet Chips (raw vegan)

Picked up some golden beets at the farm stand for cheap.  I'm still trying to love beets. I can now tolerate them, and I'm using the French phrase "I just haven't had them enough times" to explain why I don't-yet-love beets.

Sliced thin on a mandolin these are quite beautiful with concentric rings.

After dehydrating the slices at 105 F for several hours, they aren't quite as pretty. But the sweetness intensified and there's just a hint of earthiness.

I figure I can snack on these here and there and see if I can develop more liking for beets!

Eco Idea: DIY Organic Cotton Handkerchiefs

Normally don't write about non-food things here, but just couldn't resist after finishing this project! 

I've been working on  breaking my tissue habit- I have tissue boxes everywhere (4 around the house and one more in the car).  It creates so much waste in the tissue and the landfill-ness that it finally came to the top of my eco-ROI-list (yes the informal ongoing list in my head of tasks, sorted by their "eco-ROI", which is how much better for the environment they are divided by how much extra work it entails).


Method:
Buy 2 yards organic cotton knit fabric (should be $5-8 per yard or less- try to use coupons!). 

Cut fabric into 9.5" squares (a rotary cutter and cutting mat helps!)

Serge the edges, rounding corners so you have just one end of serger thread hanging out.  

I used matching white thread, but you could go fancy and use blue or metallic thread or whatever- just don't pick colors that look like snot or that are rough on skin.

Make enough to keep a stack of 5+ at each place you normally keep a tissue box.

Optional: make boxes to hold the folded handkercheifs, or make boxes with another compartment for the used/dirty tissues. This is next up on my list.

Wash: throw in the wash with like colors. I don't worry about doing these in a separate load or on hot unless someone had a really nasty cold :)

Bread Pudding Master Recipe

Bread pudding is so simple to make and economical because it uses up old/stale bread.  You can prep it ahead of time- it does well after sitting (unlike cakes or muffins that need to be baked right away in order to take advantage of the whipped eggs or baking powder/soda).

Ratio to remember: 2 eggs per 1 cup milk/non dairy milk

Bread Pudding Master Recipe: 

Combine liquids:
2 eggs
1 C milk/cream/buttermilk, non dairy milk (rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk etc.)
1/4 C (or more) sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave, sugar etc.) 
1/8 tea salt
1 tea vanilla extract

Pour over 3-4 C cubed bread (stale is fine, try whole wheat bread, challah, sourdough, baguette, bagels etc.) in a pan that holds the bread.

Optional: add your favorite add-ins. Examples: raisins, chocolate chips or chunks of chocolate, finely chopped nuts, cinnamon, berries, diced apples, etc.

Let the bread soak up the liquid and stir every couple minutes.

Bake at 350 for approx 25-35 minutes or until set- you want custardy at the bottom and slightly crispy/browned on top.

Serve as is, or with whipped cream, drizzle of honey/maple syrup, scoop of ice cream or fresh berries.

Variations:

• Cinnamon Raisin bagels+ extra raisins + extra cinnamon
• Chocolate milk + chocolate chips + almond extract
• Diced apples + cinnamon + walnut chunks

Simple Roasted Sweet Potato

Saw it on a blog somewhere and then had to look it up! This is a simple meal and very filling- lots of nutrient dense carbohydrates :)

Method:

Prick one large sweet potato with fork tines (to help release steam later).

Place in oven on a roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 400 with potato inside, let it cook for total of 45 minutes or until soft throughout.

Once soft, split open, dab with butter or coconut oil and salt, optional roasted garlic.


Nutritional facts: my sweet potato was quite large, about 350-400 grams.  Half of that is about 200 calories, plus any butter you added!

Fried Egg Tortilla Wrap

This was a quick and filling breakfast. 

Method:
Fry 2-3 eggs (farmer's market is best!) in olive oil or butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Put lettuce on 1 ezekiel sprouted grain tortilla. 

Place fried eggs on lettuce bed, dab salsa (tomatillo salsa pictured here) and wrap!

Honeydew Melon & Bok Choy Smoothie

The name pretty much says it all. 

Blend 1 baby bok choy with 1 cup of honeydew melon and a little water.

Thrifty tip: when cutting up melon, you don't have to discard the seedy goo in the middle. It's actually quite sweet, and with a high powered blender most of the seeds break down and make your smoothie creamy.  I use the inner seeds and membrane as part of my 1 cup of melon.