Super Natural Every Day.......my thoughts

Just finished making Kale Salad from Heidi Swanson's "Super Natural Every Day."  Loved it!  Super easy and yes, super natural.  Great collection of simple and (for some reason i want to use the word "robust" so i will) robust recipes.  Good ingredients, easy directions and not too many dishes to clean up.  Very pleased with healthy vegetarian recipes that don't rely on fake meat like stuff made from soy extracts (pet peeve.) Maybe because it's 101 degrees today but I think most of the recipes would be better suited for cooler temperatures as they are quite homey and comforting.  None the less, a great book to add to the shelf.  When the temperature goes down to 90, maybe I'll make the chickpea stew and in the mean time, perhaps the cucumber cooler or watermelon salad will keep me refreshed.

I took artistic license with my version and changed a few things: swapped olive oil for coconut oil and used less, added chickpeas instead of farro, added some rice vinegar, and crushed red pepper for some heat.

Blueberry lavender muffins

Into a muffin where you belong, blueberries.......
makes 12 normal sized muffins or 6 big guys
1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried lavender
1 tsp fresh lavender buds (omit if you don't have access to fresh. just use a little more dried)
1 pint blueberries

1 egg
1 c. unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c. + 2 T cane sugar or maple sugar 
3 T honey
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
3 T coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tin with muffin cups.  Combine all dry ingredients (except berries) in a large bowl, and whisk together.  Add the blueberries last and gently toss them around to coat with flour.
Combine all of the wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined.  A word of caution: if ingredients are cold, the coconut oil will get hard and lumpy.  That is bad.  Whisk all ingredients together until well combined then add to the dry ingredients.  Lightly mix together, until just combined.  Scoop batter into muffin cups and bake for 15-20 min.  A tooth pick inserted in the center of a muffin will come out clean when they are done.

Cucumber infused gin gimlet

Infusing alcohol is my new favorite past-time.  Infuse:  to steep in liquid (like alcohol) without boiling so as to extract the soluble constituents or principles (thank you Webster.)  So what I've been spending time doing is putting vegetables, fruits, and herbs in alcohol to reinvent my favorite cocktails.  Waiting patiently, until they have reached a point of greatness is the hardest part.  The best part is the limitless possibilities of flavor combinations.  Here, I have elevated the classic gimlet to a new level of freshness by infusing gin with cucumbers.  

And might I take a moment to share that I've had just about enough of the endless flavored alcohols filling liquor store shelves.  Really, "Dude" flavored vodka?  This is out of hand and I don't trust these flavored concoctions.  I don't know how they get the vodka to taste like a dude and I don't want to know.  I imagine there is added sugars involved and other things that a "food scientist" had to create in a lab.  I try not to ingest anything that a "food scientist" had a hand in making, which is why I opt to make my own infusions. 

Cucumber Infused Gimlet

2 oz gin infused with cucumber*
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
splash of Rose's lime juice
optional splash of club soda if you what a sissy drink

Combine all ingredients, except the optional club soda, plus some ice in a cocktail shaker and shake, shake, shake.  Strain into a martini glass to enjoy "up" or pour over ice and top with club soda for a less aggressive beverage.

Cucumber Gin

In a glass vessel, combine the desired amount of gin with thinly sliced organic cucumbers.  Make sure you wash the cucumber well and avoid bruised or mushy cucumbers.  Let this concoction steep in the refrigerator for several days.  The longer it steeps the better, but three days should get you gin that has captured the essence of cucumber.

Lemony tofu linguine

I don't have much to say about this recipe other than it's very good.  Nothing against the recipe........just feeling a little brain dead.  This is probably the result of watching 1/2 an episode of "Millionaire Match-Maker."  Still trying to wrap my head around it.
Don't let the tofu scare you.  Marinatating it gives it great flavor and baking it makes it crispy and firm.  So yeah, it's light, lemony, and healthy.

Lemony tofu linguini  (4 servings)

1 block of tofu (the refrigerated kind in the plastic tub)
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch thick slabs
2 c. arugula
1 head of garlic
1/2 box of whole wheat liguine
1/2 c. fresh squezzed lemon juice
3 T. while balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
generous amount of fresh black pepper
1/2 tsp honey
splash of olive oil


Plan ahead!  First step is pressing the moisture out of the tofu, which will take a few hours.  To do so: slice the block of tofu in half horizontally, so you have to thinner slabs.  Place a folded kitchen towel or paper towels on a plate and place the two pieces of tofu next to each other on the lined plate.  Place another folded towel on top of the tofu and then put something heavy on top to squash the water out of the tofu.  This way it won't be spongey and it will soak up more of the marinade.  Let this sit and squish for several hours.


Cut the pressed tofu into bite sized cubes, 1/2" thick or so, and place in a bowl.  Place sliced zucchini in a shallow backing dish.  Combine the lemon juice through olive oil in a small bowl and whisk together.  Pour half of the marinade over the zucchini and the rest over the tofu.  Toss the stuff around in the marinade every now and then and marinate for 30 min. to an hour.  Preheat oven to 400 while it's still marinating.


Line two baking trays with foil and arrange the tofu on one, and the zucchini on the other.  Put them in the oven and bake for 30 min., tossing around once in a while.  Wrap the garlic in foil and place that in the oven too.  While tofu bakes, cook pasta according to package directions.  Make sure you cook the pasta in a big enough pot with enough water and a good amount of salt.  Before you drain the pasta, reserve a cup of the cooking water to add back in to the pasta and veggies.  

Toss together the pasta, arugula, tofu, zucchini, garlic cloves (removed from their skin,) and pasta cooking water.

 

Grilled Avocado, radicchio, and papaya

Grillin' time!  I got tired of grilling the same old, same old so I thought I'd mix it up a little bit.  Forgive me for the big carbon foot print involved in this recipe.....unless this is Martha Stewart reading this, then you surely have ripe papayas and avocados in your climate controlled green house.
It's a good side dish, toss it together as a salad, or add some feta or crumbly Mexican cheese and make it a meal.

1 head of radicchio, cut into 1/4's (this is a bitter little guy so if you don't like bitter things, you can use romaine hearts instead)
1/2 of a large papaya, cut in 1/2, seeded and peeled
2 ripe, but not mushy, avocados, cut in half and pit removed
olive oil
salt
limes
cilantro, washed and leaves torn from the stems

Heat grill.  Oil or spray grill (be smart here, don't catch yourself on fire.)
Drizzle veggies and fruit with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Place on grill.  Put avocados on flesh side down first and once they get seared on that side, flip them and let them cook skin side down, the rest of the time.  Turn the stuff as it browns on each side.  Should only take 8 min or so, but it will depend on how hot the grill is.  Remove from the grill and arrange nicely on a platter or big plate.  Squirt, generously with lemon, sprinkle with a little more salt and the cilantro.  Done.

Skinnier pina colada

" I need to start drinking more Pina Coladas."

That's nice mom, but I'm not sure that's a real good idea.  Unless you're prepared to fast and do endless cardio, making a habit of Pina Coladas will likely result in wearing muumus.....alone with your coconutty pineapple heaven in a glass. 

But they are so good!  If only you didn't feel like you just ate a huge ice cream sundae after drinking one.  I think I've come up with something that will allow us to enjoy a Pina Colada without having to shop for muumus.

Skinnier Pina Colada

1 oz gold rum 

1 oz pineapple infused vodka*

1 oz coconut water (below is a picture of my favorite)

splash of light coconut milk (shake the can before you open it)

squirt of agave or honey......make it as sweet as you want.  I like it stiff so a squirt is enough

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously, playing island inspired music will help with this step. Strain into an ice filled glass.

I suppose you could blend this all up to if you like a frozen drink.  I, personally, would hate to dilute it too much or make it too hard to drink.

Pineapple infused vodka
Choose you favorite vodka (I like Titos and Prairie)
Fresh pineapple cut into pieces small enough to fit in the top of your vessel of choice
a jar, bottle with a larger opening, something glass to put this all in

Add cut pineapple to vodka in your jar or bottle and let sit in the refrigerator for a least three days, the longer the better.