Food

Recipe – Canned Apricots in Honey Syrup

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1 cup Honey 2 ½ cups water

3 lbs. apricots, firm, but not hard

Fill canning pot halfway full with water and bring to a boil. Place flat lids in a small pot, cover with hot water and bring to a simmer. Combine honey and water in a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Wash apricots and dry on a towel. Using a paring knife, cut apricots in half and remove pit. Pack jars with apricots, cut side down. Packing apricots cavity side down makes it easier to fit more into the jar. Ladle hot honey syrup into the jars until apricots are covered. Leave ½ inch of headspace at the top of the jars. Top jars with hot lids and screw rings. When all the jars have been filled and topped with lids, lower them into the hot water bath. Cover pot, bring water to a boil and process for ten minutes. Turn off the heart, remove lid, and carefully remove the jars of preserved apricots.

Food – Home Canning

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“Nature’s abundant supply of fruits, nuts, and grains is ample, and year by year the products of all lands are more generally distributed to all … . As a result, many articles of food which a few years ago were regarded as expensive luxuries, are now within the reach of all as foods for everyday use. This is especially the case with dried and canned fruits.” Testimony Studies on Diet and Foods, 124.

For some reason, canning, as a method of very long-term food storage, fell into disuse. Maybe it’s the hurry/rush syndrome many folks have become addicted to, necessitating “instant” foods, microwave ovens, and mixes for everything from pancakes to casseroles. But for people of a self-reliant inclination—raising a good portion of their own wholesome, chemical-free food and establishing a storage method that is easy and results in tasty food, even years down the road—home canning is the way to go.

And remember, no power outage or mechanical failure will cause your pantry full of home canned food to go bad, as can happen with frozen food. Besides, where food only stays good for a year, max, in the freezer, it stays great tasting for years on the pantry shelf neatly packaged in shining glass jars. Home canning allows a family to eat chemical-free, delectable fruits, vegetables, nutmeats, pickles, preserves, jams, and jellies just waiting for a meal.

It is possible to can year-round, making up such things as chili, stews, dry beans (like pintos for refried beans), spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, relish, etc. Whatever the season, there’s always something special to can for later meals. Nearly anything you can find on a store shelf can be canned easily at home.

Canning is very easy. If you can boil water and tell time, you can home can. Begin canning with a water bath canner. Jars do not have to be purchased new. Any jar that a canning jar lid and ring will fit on—and is chip and crack free—will work. Rings are reusable for years and years, serving only to hold the flexible metal lid down on the jar rim during the canning process. Lids need to be bought new for each use, for if the lid has been bent it will not reseal, and the rubber is usually only good for a one-time use. A good, fairly recent canning book is a “must,” as it contains time tables, specific directions for many, many different foods, as well as a lot of recipes for home canned goodies.

Recipe – Haricots Verts and Radishes

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1 lb. Haricots verts, trimmed

1/3 cup black sesame seeds

2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or lemon juice)

½ tsp. shichimi togarashi* or ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

8 radishes, each cut into 6 wedges

Fill large pot or bowl with ice water, and set aside. Bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil in stockpot over high heat. Add haricots verts, and blanch 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain in colander, and plunge colander in ice bath 3 to 4 minutes, or until haricots verts are cool. Drain, and pat dry. Toast sesame seeds in small, dry skillet over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool to room temperature, then finely grind in spice or coffee grinder, or with mortar and pestle. Transfer ground sesame seeds to bowl, and stir in Bragg Liquid Aminos, maple syrup, rice vinegar (or lemon juice, and shichimi togarashi. Toss together green beans and dressing in large bowl. Scatter radishes on top.

*Shichimi togarashi is a fragrant Japanese pepper blend that includes red pepper, dried orange peel, and seaweed, but can be easily swapped out for cayenne pepper.

Food – Haricots Verts

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“This is what we need: simple food prepared in a simple, wholesome, and relishable manner.”
Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, 408.

Haricots verts is indeed French for green beans—haricot meaning beans and vert meaning green. Although green beans are of nearly universal distribution, over 130 varieties of green beans are known. Green is a misnomer, as they are not solely the emerald green we know them as. Pod color can be green, golden, purple, red, or streaked. Shapes range from thin fillet types to wide romano types and more common types in between. They are found in two major groups—bush beans and pole beans. Bush beans are short plants, growing to approximately two feet in height, without requiring supports. Pole beans have a climbing habit and produce a twisting vine. Also called snap beans, string beans, French beans, wax beans and haricots verts, these thin, finger-like beans are always fresh, crunchy and versatile. French green beans are longer and thinner than most American varieties, but if your recipe specifies haricots verts and you are unable to find them, substitute with the thinnest young green beans you can find.

Green beans manage to be super low in calories—a whole cup only containing a little over 40—yet still loaded with nutrients. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese, a very good source of vitamin A (notably through their concentration of carotenoids including beta-carotene), dietary fiber, potassium, folate and iron. And, also a good source of magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, calcium, phosphorus, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and niacin.

To get fresh beans ready, begin by washing them thoroughly in cold water and then topping and tailing them, a culinary term for snapping off the tip of both ends. Cook the beans quickly to avoid destroying their delicate flavor and crisp-tender quality. They can be boiled (check every minute for the perfect texture) and added to salads or braised, roasted, grilled on the barbecue, steamed, stir-fried or thrown into soups and stews.

Recipe – Quinoa with Vegetables and Herbs

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1 cup quinoa

½ tsp. kosher salt,

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini, chopped (2 cups)

divided 3 carrots, peeled and chopped (1 ½ cups)

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp. fresh thyme or oregano (optional)

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Rinse quinoa in a strainer. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring quinoa, 2 cups water, and ¼ tsp. salt to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa absorbs the water, 10-15 minutes. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high and add next 5 ingredients. Sauté, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender and golden around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with ¼ tsp. salt. In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, vegetables, and fresh chives and serve.

Food – Turn Over a New Leaf

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Fresh herbs have long enjoyed a place of importance in the hearts of cooks. They are, without a doubt, the most versatile culinary ingredients. Fresh herbs add rich and savory flavors to foods, perking up and adding depth to vegetables and soups. They are a quick, healthy and fat-free way to add spice to everyday meals without adding additional sodium and calories.

  • In most recipes you can very easily substitute fresh herbs for dry herbs by using about 3 times the amount—1 tsp. dry equals 1 Tbsp. fresh.
  • Buy herbs with vibrant color and aroma. Avoid those that are limp, yellowing, have black spots or don’t smell totally fresh.
  • To store—Trim unwashed herb bunches. Wrap in a damp paper towel and slip into a plastic bag filled with a little air to prevent crushing. Place in the refrigerator crisper drawer. Wash when ready to use.
  • Use a sharp knife when cutting fresh herbs. A dull one will crush and bruise the herbs. Scissors also work well when chopping chives or snipping off tender leaves.
  • Do you have leftover fresh herbs? Fill an ice cube tray with finely chopped herbs and pour water over just to cover. Freeze until solid. Pop frozen cubes in a freezer bag. Place into the freezer until needed.
  • Fresh herbs can also be dried for later use—Remove leaves from the bottom inch of each stem. Bundle several stems together with string or a rubber band. Hang upside down in a warm, airy room. When completely dry, crumble the leaves into jars.
  • Herb butters are one of the most wonderful treats you can make with herbs. Combine 1 stick of softened Earth Balance vegan buttery stick with 1 tsp. lemon juice and 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped herbs of your choice. Transfer the mixture to a piece of waxed or parchment paper and roll into a log. Refrigerate until firm. Slice and serve with corn on the cob, Italian bread, steamed vegetables, baked potato or cooked pasta.
  • Create herb-infused oils to use in vinaigrettes, as a bread dip or drizzled over cooked vegetables. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 cup of olive oil along with 5 sprigs of thyme or 2 sprigs of rosemary until bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
  • Think beyond lettuce—adding coarsely chopped herbs to a salad adds flavor and color. Dill, basil, mint and parsley are especially delicious.

AmacAdvantage, vol. 6, Issue 3, 46, 47.

Recipe – Sauteed Bok Choy

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Recipe – Sauteed Bok Choy
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2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. freshly grated ginger

1 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 Tbsp. Water

¼ tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 ½ lb bok choy, cut 1″ pieces

Salt (optional)

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds. Add the bok choy and, using tongs, fold it into the garlic-ginger mixture until coated, about 1 minute. Add the Bragg Liquid Aminos and water, cover, and cook until steam accumulates, about one minute. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are just wilted, the stalks are just fork tender but still crisp, and most of the water has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and season with salt if desired.

Food – Bok Choy

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Some foods have perhaps been unknown to you. Many such foods will only become familiar as your personal cooking expands beyond the familiar local foods. One such food is bok choy.

Cultivated in China since ancient times, bok choy is found in soups and stir-fries, appetizers and main dishes. Introduced to Europe in the 1800s, bok choy is now grown in the United States and several Canadian provinces and is readily available in supermarkets throughout North America. However, bok choy remains firmly associated with Chinese cooking.

Bok choy’s popularity comes from its light, sweet flavor, crisp texture and nutritional value. Not only is it high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium, but it is low in calories. Bok choy, or Brassica chinensis to use its scientific name, is classified as a cabbage, but it bears little resemblance to the round European cabbages found in western supermarkets. Its white stalks resemble celery without the stringiness, while the dark green, crinkly leaves of the most common variety is similar to Romaine lettuce.

When purchasing bok choy, look for a plant with firm stalks that is free of brown spots. Wrapped in paper towels and stored in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator, bok choy should keep for up to a week. When the time comes to start cooking, you’ll find that bok choy is extremely adaptable. Boiling, steaming, and stir-frying are all possibilities. With full-sized bok choy you’ll want to separate the leaves from the stalks, as the thick stalks have a longer cooking time. Rinse both well and drain, then shred or cut across the leaves, and cut the stalks into small slices along the diagonal or as called for in the recipe. When stir-frying, a good basic method is to stir-fry the bok choy for a minute, sprinkle with a little salt, then add a small amount of water (about 3 tablespoons per pound of bok choy) cover, and simmer for 2 minutes. Adjust the seasonings if desired, adding a little sugar during cooking, or stirring in sesame oil at the end. Whichever cooking method you choose, be sure not to overcook the bok choy—the stalks should be tender and the leaves just wilted.

Recipe – Carob Chip Bars

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4 cups quick cook oats

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup oil

1 cup vegan carob chips

¾ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spread oats onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients. Add warm oats and stir well. Spread oat mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish, pressing down hard to compact it. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely, then cut into bars.

Food – Carob

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If you are a chocolate lover, you know it’s hard to find a replacement with the same flavor and mouth-feel, right? Enter carob. Unlike chocolate, carob is naturally sweet, low in fat, high in fiber, has calcium and most importantly, no caffeine. Carob comes from the pod of a tree that grows along the Mediterranean Sea. The pod contains a sweet, edible pulp. Once dried and roasted, the pulp is ground into a powder called carob flour (but more commonly referred to as carob powder). It’s similar to cocoa powder in color and can be substituted one-for-one in recipes, but carob is unique with its own special flavor and texture. It’s sweet, mild and packed with pectin, a soluble fiber. Traditionally, it was used to soothe an upset stomach. You can try carob in cookies, candies and beverages. It’s very simple to substitute in your favorite recipes.

Here are some substitution ideas to get you started:

  • Replace cocoa powder with carob powder one-for-one in your recipes.
  • Substitute carob chips for chocolate chips in cookies, bars, cakes, muffins and candies.
  • Carob is higher in sugars and lower in fat than unsweetened cocoa. Be sure to reduce the sugar and increase the fat in your recipe.
  • For each ½ cup of carob used, reduce sugar by 2 to 3 tablespoons and increase butter or oil by the same.
  • Baking fat free? No problem! Omit the oil or butter and use a little extra applesauce, mashed pears, mashed bananas or other fruit puree.
  • Carob can burn! Set your oven 25°F lower when baking with it exclusively.
  • Got a recipe calling for baking chocolate? For each square, use 3 tablespoons of carob powder plus one to two tablespoons of non-dairy milk.
  • Add a tablespoon of carob powder to bread dough to make a nice, rich dark color.
  • Store carob flour in an air-tight container in a cool, dry pantry; if it lumps up, just sift before using.

And now for some fun ideas:

  • Make a carob smoothie with non-dairy milk or fruit juice, frozen fruit, nut butter and carob powder.
  • Make carob pancakes: Substitute 1/4 cup carob flour for 1/4 cup regular flour in your recipe. Omit the sugar and add an extra tablespoon of oil or melted butter. Top with strawberries, walnuts and a little pure maple syrup.
  • Top fresh berries or other fruit with a combination of nuts and carob chips.
  • Melt carob chips and spoon over fruit or frozen desserts. Try with mango sorbet.
  • Throw a handful of carob chips into muffins for a nice treat.
  • Heat a cup of non-dairy milk. Add a small handful of carob chips, stir until melted and drink up.
  • Make trail mix with carob chips, dried fruit, whole grain cereal and chopped nuts.