Prudent and Practical » food

Spiced Apple Quinoa

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 05:04:08 +0000

Quinoa is a seed that has the texture of a grain. It contains all eight essential amino acids, is high in protein, calcium, and iron, has a decent amount of fiber (3 grams per serving) and is gluten free. I waited so long to try quinoa because it was touted by the health foodies and I was thinking, “Something so good for you, can’t possibly taste that great. And I don’t want to waste money by trying something I may not like.” I finally gave in because it has been getting more popular where I live.

Before cooking quinoa, you need to remove the natural bitter coating (saponins) by soaking it in water. Run cold water over it and gently rub the seeds together. It is more beneficial to also soak the quinoa over night in water:

Author of Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon, explains that all grains contain phytic acid in their outer layer. The acid can combine with minerals in the intestinal tract and block their absorbtion, which can lead to mineral deficiencies and bone loss. Soaking for as little as seven hours allows enzymes to break down and neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors… Not technically a grain, but the fruit of the Chenopodium family, it [quinoa] has superior nutritional properties. All quinoa products should be soaked – Andean Indians recognize that the antinutrients in quinoa are neutralized this way.

Uses for Quinoa

Quinoa’s taste and texture are similar to rice. It feels lighter in the mouth and tastes a bit nuttier. Use two parts water to one part quinoa.
Eat it plain or with some butter, salt, and pepper.
For breakfast, add honey, maple syrup, a little milk, nuts, and/or dried fruit to cooked quinoa.
For lunch and dinner, use quinoa in place of rice. For a different flavor, use stock in place of water when cooking the quinoa.
Quinoa can be found at any health food store. If you’re skeptical about the price, get a small amount from the bulk bins to try before you buy a larger amount.

Hot Apple Quinoa

Ingredients:
½ cup quinoa
½ cup brown rice
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon, cardamom, or a mix of both
2 cups water
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons dried cranberries or additional raisins
2 tablespoons chia seeds (These little guys are filling, high in Omega-3s, and high in fiber. A little goes a long way!)
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

Instructions:
1. In a pot, combine quinoa, rice, apple, cinnamon and water.

2. Cook until water is absorbed (like cooking rice).

3. Stir in dried fruit, seeds, and honey.

Thanks for visiting! If you’re interested in more recipes you can check out my food and recipes pages. If you want to know what I’ve been up to this week, visit my front page. To stay up to date, subscribe via RSS or subscribe via Email.

I’m also participating in the following link-ups today! You can find many more fantastic recipes here:

Tuna Treats

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:52:30 +0000

I’ve done quite a bit of experimental baking lately. The animals, all five of them, have really enjoyed it as well. Mrs. Klutzo (that’s me) frequently drops stuff on the floor. I guess I get a little too enthusiastic To reward them for taste testing all of my creations, I made them some new treats . Now that I’m done being sarcastic, here’s a recipe for the cats, and yes, the dogs enjoy them too!

Ingredients:

1 – 6 ounce can of tuna
1/4 cup water drained from tuna
3 tablespoons cooked egg white, chopped
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
The original recipe says to add ingredients in steps, but I just dumped it all in a bowl at the same time and mixed it up
Knead into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch thick
Cut into cat-sized pieces
Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes

Note: The original recipe says that this will make 12, 1-inch cat cookies. Not only is 1/4 inch really big, especially for your cats mouth, how is he or she going to eat a 1″x1″ morsel? I rolled my dough thinner and made them 3/4″x3/4″ and no, they would not eat the treats because they were so big. Three cats, two of them will literally eat anything the dogs eat, none of them would eat them at this size. I ended up cutting the treats into quarters and that worked for them. These store well in an air-tight container in the fridge. Oh, and if you roll them out thinner and cut them smaller, this definitely makes a lot more than 12 treats!

Thanks for visiting! If you’re interested in more recipes you can check out my food and recipes pages. If you want to know what I’ve been up to this week, visit my front page or subscribe via RSS!

I’m also participating in the following link-ups today! You can find many more fantastic recipes here:

More Pancakes!

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 05:00:18 +0000

I hate the word diet. There are multiple phrases that bother me. ”Are you on a diet?” What diet are you on?” “I need to go on a diet.” Someone asked me in January, “You look great! What diet are you on?” I froze because I wasn’t on a diet. I wasn’t trying to do anything special. So I said, “Um, just eating natural foods and fruits and veggies.” That’s not a diet, it’s a way of life. Since then, the coupon experiment has been in full swing and I’ve gained 10 pounds. I’ve been thumbing through Nourishing Traditions again and slowly putting changes back into my life. I’m ready to start eating well again!

With some things I go all out and jump right in, but food is a different story. I ease my way into any changes I make with what I eat. I also start with the fun stuff, aka dessert type foods and drinks. Ironic, right? I feel that if a more healthy or nutritious dessert or sweet recipe tastes good and makes me feel happy (and passes D’s approval), then I become brave enough to try the more interesting things. So I started with pancakes from Nourishing Traditions.

This recipe needs to be started the night before to allow for the soaking of flour.

Author of NT, Sally Fallon, explains that all grains contain phytic acid in their outer layer. The acid can combine with minerals in the intestinal tract and block their absorbtion, which can lead to mineral deficiencies and bone loss. Soaking for as little as seven hours allows enzymes to break down and neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors.

Pancakes

2 cups – ground spelt, kamut, or whole wheat flour. So far I’ve only tried this recipe with spelt.
2 cups – an acidic liquid like buttermilk, kefir, yogurt (or 2 cups filtered water plus 2 tablespoons whey, lemon juice, or vinegar)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons melted butter

Yield is 16-20. This recipe can successfully be halved.

Soak the flour in the acidic liquid in a warm place for 12-24 hours.

In the morning (or 12-24 hours later), stir in other ingredients and thin if needed with water

Cook on a hot, oiled pan

Easy and delicious! (My pretty pancakes ~ these turned out great, even though I have a tendency to burn things!)

The verdict:

These pancakes are fluffy and delicious. D and I prefer the taste and texture of these pancakes to the boxed powders. And although we both enjoy vegan pancakes, I think it’s safe to say we like these more! We both like strawberries on the side with them. D tops his with butter and maple syrup while I like mine with cashew butter and just a hint of syrup or honey. Yum! Even if the whole idea of soaking has you confused and it looks like a lot of work, it’s not. And it’s totally worth trying!

I’m also participating in the following link-ups today! You can find many more fantastic recipes here:

Fun Party Punch

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 06:49:48 +0000

Spring party season is coming up and it’s time to start planning! This will make a tasty addition to all the baby showers, bridal showers, and graduations coming up. I got the following recipe for a fun party punch from my mom who got it from one of her coworkers. It’s super easy and tastes good.

This is one of those recipes that don’t have specific measurements – it’s pretty much up to the maker. There is a happy medium and you’ll find it!

The recipe calls for just three ingredients:

2 quarts prepared fruit drink (for example – KoolAid… I made mine raspberry flavored)
A container of sherbet/sorbet of coordinating flavor (I used raspberry sherbet)
2 liters 7-Up

Pour fruit drink so it fills about half of a punch bowl.

Next, little by little add in the 7-Up – this is where you taste test. The right amount will taste like fizzy KoolAid – not too little that it tastes like flat flavored pop and not too much that it tastes like 7-Up.

Add a few scoops of sherbet/sorbet…

(Sorry for the messy photo – this was New Year’s Eve and we had some friends over!)

It will melt….

And finally give a frothy look to the top of the punch while adding some more flavor! Fun, easy, delicious!

Thanks for visiting! If you’re interested in more recipes you can check out my food and recipes pages. If you want to know what I’ve been up to this week, visit my front page or subscribe via RSS!

I’m also participating in the following carnivals today! You can find many more fantastic recipes here:

Great-Grandma’s Date Cookies

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:15:59 +0000

My grandpa loves snacky foods, so that’s what we usually get him for Christmas, his birthday, and Father’s Day. My mom was flustered this Christmas because she didn’t have a chance to make grandpa’s favorite cookies. When I asked what recipe that was she told me that his mother used to make him date cookies and she has that recipe. Guess what he’s getting for his birthday today?

So, here’s the recipe for…

Great-Grandma’s Date Cookies

Cream:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I used butter)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix:

2-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Add this mixture to the above mix
It will now look like chocolate chip cookie dough without the chocolate chips!

Prepare dates:

Place 1 cup chopped dates in a bowl
Pour over 5 tablespoons boiling water
Let sit for a couple minutes
The dates will be much softer now
Drain off any excess water
Add to the above mix

Optional: Add in some nuts. Since my grandpa’s such a great guy and it’s his birthday, I added 1/2 cup chopped pecans. If I had it to do over again, I would have added 1 cup because they’re not very prominent in the finished cookies.

Bake:

350-degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown
These are a softer cookie – not crunchy.
I made mine a little big and it ended up yielding about 30 cookies

Note: I’ve had some blog issues the last few days and long story short, the photos will be posted as soon as I can figure out why they’re not posting! Got a few to post, but not all of them.

I’m also participating in the following carnivals today! You can find many more fantastic recipes here:

Sesame Turkey Recipe

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:07:14 +0000

Yep, this recipe is delicious sesame goodness, only with turkey instead of chicken. There is a distinct turkey taste, but it’s good and an excellent, non-traditional way to use up leftover turkey!

We like to serve these with my newest discovery, cheese puffs (aka crab rangoon without the crab). You can find wonton wraps in the refrigerated area in your grocery – at Hy-Vee, they are next to the salad mixes and tofu. And of course, these goodies aren’t complete without some homemade sweet and sour sauce!

The original sesame chicken recipe is from RecipeZaar.

Sesame Turkey Recipe Ingredients

Turkey – I use about 4 cups leftover turkey. But I you can adjust the amount.
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2-1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds – put sesame seeds in a hot pan and stir. They’re done when they’re light brown.

Sesame Turkey Recipe Instructions

Cut turkey into bite size pieces.
Heat a large non-stick skillet that has been sprayed with Pam, over medium-high heat.
Cook turkey until no longer pink. (Or just reheat turkey.)
Mix together honey, soy sauce, water, corn starch, ginger and red pepper flakes.
Whisk until no corn starch lumps appear.
Pour sauce mixture into skillet with turkey.
Cook until sauce thickens slightly.
You can add more water if sauce is too thick.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until turkey starts to soak up the sauce.

Cheese Puffs Recipe

Put a spoonful of cream cheese on a wonton wrap.
Rub water around the edge.
Pinch the edges toward the center.
Drop in hot oil until light golden brown.

Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

The following recipe tastes just like the packaged stuff but doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup. Instead of a bright red color, it’s a translucent brown. This recipe is from About.com.

1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water

Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.

I’m also participating in the following carnivals today! You can find many more recipes here:

Easy Bagel Dip Recipe

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:25:13 +0000

So, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know how much my family is into creamy dips and intriguing desserts during the holiday season. My mom has been making the following dip recipe for a few years now and it is so addictive and so easy to make! D loves dips too and specifically wanted this one for our New Year’s Eve get together last week. And out of all the junk food available, guess which one was gone first? That’s right, this one!

The base of mayo and sour cream is well, very creamy. The beef adds a saltiness along with the herby parsley and dill. This dip melts in your mouth!

Beef Bagel Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

16 ounce jar real mayo
16 ounce container real sour cream
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
2 packages dried beef (not corned!)
2 packages bagels (I’ve tried plain, honey wheat, and onion)

Instructions:

Chop beef – just pull it out of the package and slice it one way then slice it the other – voila! That’s good enough.

Dump everything except bagels in a bowl and mix well. This dip does not need to let the flavors blend in the fridge – it’s good from the get-go.

Slice each bagel into large bite sizes. This helps to scoop up ample dip I cut it like I’m cutting a pizza, only with a knife, then pull apart the pieces.

All in a new bowl my sister got me for Christmas!

If you’re interested in more recipes you can check out my food and recipes pages. If you want to know what I’ve been up to this week, visit my front page!

I’m also participating in the following carnivals today! You can find many more recipes here:

8GM5Y6TG8RRA

Christmas Baking: Biscotti

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:50:01 +0000

I get emails from Biaggi’s Ristorante every once in a while. It’s usually the run of the mill, “check out our new…” email, but this one was different. There was a recipe inside! I had all of the ingredients except for the sliced almonds so D bought some for me on his way back from work.

I made mine a little too thick so I had to cook them longer. I missed the point of doneness and just barely overcooked them. D still liked the taste and I packed up the nicest ones in goody bags for extended family.

Biscotti di Prato Recipe

Yield: 2 dozen

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp almond extract
2-1/2 cups flour
1 cup sliced almonds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time.

Add extract, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon an mix

Slowly add flour on low speed

Stir in almonds and mix for 30 seconds

Form the dough into a 12″x3″ log on a parchment paper line baking sheet

Baking until lightly golden (40 minutes)

Cool for 30 minutes

Cut at an angle into 3/4″ slices

Reduce oven to 300 degrees

Arrange slices cut side down and bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown

Transfer from baking sheet and allow to cool for about 1 hour. Yum!

Christmas Baking: Chocolate PB Cookies

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:31:59 +0000

If you need some ideas for Christmas baking, look no further! For the next few days, I’ll be posting recipes to help you out!

This recipe is slightly altered from Post Punk Kitchen Blog’s recipe. Their Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows recipe is wonderful! I’m not a fan of chocolate cookies, but the peanut butter definitely makes them tasty! The recipe is originally vegan, but can also be made with cow’s milk – vegan or not, the cookies taste the same.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows

Ingredients:

Chocolate dough:

1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons non-dairy or cow’s milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tablespoons black unsweetened cocoa or more dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

3/4 cup natural salted peanut butter, crunchy or creamy style
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar (I accidentally used regular and it still turned out fine)
2 to 3 tablespoons creamer, non-dairy milk, or cow’s milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl combine oil, sugar, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Sift in flour, cocoas, baking soda and salt. Mix to form a moist dough.

Make the filling: In another mixing bowl beat together peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons milk or creamer, and vanilla extract to form a moist but firm dough. If mix is too dry, stir in remaining tablespoon of milk. If dough is too wet knead in a little extra powdered sugar.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. (Wash hands thoroughly…)

Create the centers/filling of the cookies by rolling the peanut butter mix into 24 balls.

Scoop a generous tablespoon of chocolate dough, flatten into a disc and place a peanut butter ball in the center.

Fold the sides of the chocolate dough up and around the peanut butter center and roll the chocolate ball into an smooth ball between your palms.

Place on a sheet of waxed paper and repeat with remaining doughs. If desired gently flatten cookies a little, but this is not necessary.

Place dough balls on lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and let cookies set for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to complete cooling. Store cookies in tightly covered container. If desired warm cookies in a microwave for 10 to 12 seconds before serving.

These taste amazing with a glass of milk!

Christmas Dog Biscuits

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:32:38 +0000

As you know, we make our own dog food, so it only makes sense to make our own dog biscuits. After making and letting the dogs try out a few different recipes I decided on the following recipe, which the dogs lovingly know as “crunchies”. The recipe is adapted from Bullwrinkle’s Peanut Butter Puppy Popper recipe and has the fewest ingredients of all the dog biscuit recipes I’ve seen.

To make the treats extra special for Christmas, I added in carob chips, just as you would for chocolate chip cookies. Although they look like chocolate chips, they aren’t. They taste like bitter cocoa, but they aren’t poisonous to dogs and they enjoy them. Carob chips also do not melt on their own very well. I wanted to make the treats last Christmas but dunk them in melted carob. I had to add a lot of milk to the chips.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cups milk
1 cups peanut butter
1 tablespoon baking powder
Optional: carob chips

Instructions:

Mix everything together – this is easiest with a stand mixer as the dough gets very thick.

Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness and use a cookie cutter (I used a stocking shape, I’ve also used star, candy cane, and egg shapes)

Bake on a greased pan for 20 minutes at 375 degrees-F (or until lightly brown)

Cool and store in an airtight container. These also freeze well.

If you’re interested in more recipes you can check out my food and recipes pages. If you want to know what I’ve been up to this week, visit my front page!

I’m also participating in the following carnivals today! You can find many more recipes here: