Fake phood

Bloody Sunday

Christmas is coming

China Town San Francisco

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.