Fresh Pesto Sauce on Cooked Noodles

Fresh Pesto Sauce
3 Tbs Fresh Basil
1 Tbs Fresh Parsley (Can use Cilantro instead)
1/4 cup of Toasted Almonds or Pine Nuts (or Walnuts)
3-4 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Small clove of Minced Garlic (1 Tbs)
3-4 Tbs grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Add more olive oil if pesto sauce is too dry.  You can dip fresh bread in it or I mixed mine with cooked noodles and grated a little more cheese on top.  Tasty stuff!

Pasta Italiana or Italian Flag Pasta

Pasta Italiana (Italian Flag Pasta)

This dish has the 3 colors of the Italian Flag in it- White=Cheese, Green=Basil and Red=tomatoes

Ingredients;
Ditalini noodles (small cylinder noodles)
Mozzarella cheese
Dried Basil
Olive Oil
Roma Tomatoes (others work as well)
Balsamic Vinegar

Cook noodles until barely done. While the noodles are cooking, cube tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. (Smallish cubes) When noodles are done add a large amount of olive oil until noodles are well coated then add large amount of Dried Basil. Then add the cubed tomatoes and cheese. Serve hot with a dash of cold  Balsamic vinegar.  I usually cook up some meat to go along with this meal and sometimes we eat just this because it is fast and easy to make.  (This was a big hit at a Family reunion I went to this summer and did this as a cooking demonstration.) 

Sorry no working camera currently :(  So you will just have to try it out and see if you like it :)

Flavourful Meatloaf, Easy Homemade butter and Buttermilk

My sister Kimi was staying with us this last week and she claimed that this was the best meatloaf she has ever had! I have been reading a lot of different books that one of my friends introduced me too on nutrition and getting the most from our food. This meatloaf was in one of those books where I slightly changed the recipe. One of the things it talks about is healthy fermentation. (Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon) I know sounds crazy, but it totally makes sense and we have been fermenting some of our foods for over a month and have had no ill effects from it. This healthy way of fermenting things helps introduce healthy bacteria in our intestines that make food digestion go smoother and allow our bodies to absorb more nutrients (that is only a couple of the incredible benefits!) I will continue to include more recipes that I hope you are brave enough to try ;)! We are actually in the works of getting our own milk cow soon and are excited to make "fresh" dairy products. But in the meantime try to find milk that has no hormones and is in its most natural form possible. Have you ever noticed that when your milk jug is empty and it sits for a day that the spec of milk on the bottom is instantly rancid and bright green or yellow. That is the formaldehyde that they put in it to preserve it. (not good!) In SE Idaho we have access to a little better milk from Reed's Dairy. But once milk is heated up to process it, it looses all the natural enzymes that the body needs to digest it better (thus a lot of dairy intolerance)

This is the Simple Homemade Butter and Buttermilk recipe; (Makes 1/2 lb of butter and 2 cups buttermilk)
1 quart of heavy cream (I used 1/2 heavy and 1/2 light since that was all I had) Place into a glass jar at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours, cover with a paper towel. (I let mine sit overnight) The next morning I put my cream into my kitchen aid (can use a regular mixer as well) and used the beater attachment. I beat the cream high at first and then on a slower speed for several mins. As the liquid starts to separate transfer it into a glass jar to be stored in the fridge. Continue until all liquid is out of the butter (at this point I added a tsp of sea salt) and press with a wooden spoon if needed. Roll butter into a ball and place in a glass or ceramic bowl, cover and chill. Butter can be frozen.

This is so creamy with no added preservatives either! You should only cook with Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Real Butter, coconut oil and occasionally cold pressed Flax seed oil. Every other oil and margarine, has no nutritional value from being processed in the high heat and so many other bad things. Store bought Salad dressings are also very bad for the body, so if you can make you own, you are 100% better off. ( I am still working on finding ones that we really like)*Just found out that some people use their blender to make butter :)

Flavourful Meatloaf- *Don't use the lean beef, in the end when it is cooked the percentage of fat is only 5% and lean or extra lean beef are less nutritious (from no fat) and more dry.

Saute in butter until soft
1 finely chopped medium onion
2 peeled and finely chopped carrots
2 finely chopped celery stalks
In a separate bowl mix
2 lbs of ground beef or other red meat
1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup of homemade buttermilk (it will smell very sour)
1 egg
1 1/2 cups of whole grain bread crumbs
1 Tbs of minced garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp of dried red or chili pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
-Then add the cooked veggies and I find it is easiest to mix with my hands.
Place in a 9 x 13 pan and cover the meatloaf with a light layer of tomato paste and pour 1 cup of water around the meatloaf. Bake at 350 F for 1 1/2 hours.

*And the final tip for today is about sea salt. It should be brown or tan in color. White sea salt has been bleached, and the nutrients then have also been bleached out. Regular table salt is processed with Chlorine (not good, like we need more of that in our bodies!)

Fun veggie medleys!

This was so good, we had it mostly eaten before I remembered to take a picture! This is the only one I have gotten a picture of. The recipe is chopped fresh cauliflower, chopped fresh green pepper, and chopped fresh bok choi, steamed until done.

For a delish leftover, simply add veggie blend with a 1/2 cup of cooked Quinoa and fresh garlic, cook on stove until warm. This was sooo tasty too!

Another Blend I did was with Broccoli, Cauliflower and Bok Choi.

For those of you who do not know what Bok Choi is... It is a green leafy Chinese Cabage high in Vitamins A, C and Calcium. I have only ever used it in Stir Fry before. You eat the leaf and the bottom white part as well. You can eat it in medleys (very mild in flavor, not a strong as regular cabbage) and in soups as well.

Traditional Cheese Balls

I forgot to take a picture of these, but here is the recipes. They have been made at my family gatherings for as long as I can remember. My dad even helped me make these for Christmas gifts one year. I made 3 small balls of different varieties and surrounded them with a variety of crackers on plates. These might not be the healthiest, but I think anything is better than a ton of sugar!

Soften all ingredients at room temperature

Traditional Ball
16 oz Cream Cheese
1 1/2 cup Grated Cheese
1 jar Old English
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

Combine until smooth, then roll into logs or a ball. Roll into chopped pecans, parsley, dried cranberries, Chopped green olives or ground pepper. I rolled my cheddar one in chopped strawberry flavored cranberries-yum!

Other variations include; Can add a 1/2 tsp smoke flavoring, in place of Old English add Goat cheese, or in place of Old English add Roka Blue jar and a heaping spoon full of Blue Cheese (Dressing of the real stuff).

My Aunt puts the cheese mixture into bags and cuts a hole to bring on trips, I thought that was a great idea.

Salad on a Stick

These are really easy and yummy! Ingredients are the freshest mozzarella cheese you can get, cherry or grape tomatoes, Fresh Basil leaves or Fresh Spinach leaves. First soak skewer stick in water for 1 hour. Then layer the cheese, leaf and tomato. I did two of each on each stick. Then you can either drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper or drizzle with Italian dressing. Serve. It took me about 20 minutes to fill 34 sticks. I made these as an appetizer.

Guacamole

This is the would-a-been award-winning guacamole, had the elder's quorom followed through on the contest...

Ingredients
3-4 avocadoes, pitted & peeled
1 small onion
2 Roma tomatoes
2 limes
1 bundle cilantro
garlic powder to taste

Mash the avocadoes to desired consistency. (We liked it a little chunkier instead of pureed.) Finely chop tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, again according to consistency. Add to avocadoes. Squeeze lime juice in. Add garlic powder to taste. (1tsp-ish, I think.) Garnish with chopped onion, tomatoes, and cilantro and a slice of lime.

Cilantro & Black Bean Rice

I threw this together one night. However, I'm not a fan of the texture of black beans. Is there a better bean?

Ingredients
2c uncooked rice
1T olive oil
4c water or broth
1can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2c chopped cilantro leaves

Put rice & olive oil in a large pan on low-medium heat. Toast rice until golden, stirring occasionally. Add water or broth. Cook rice as usual (bring to boil, lower to simmer & cover). Stir in beans. Leave on low heat until beans are warm. Toss in cilantro.

More Beans!

So these are two of our favorite Bean recipes! The Taco Soup we eat at least a couple times a month. (Which says a lot, because I like variety. We try to eat, Fish, pasta, rice, beans, each of these at least once a week along with fruit and veggies with lunch and dinner)
Taco Soup
1 pkg of Taco Seasoning (w/out MSG)
1 Lb browned Hamburger (I use a can from the cannery)
1 to 2 cans of Kidney Beans
1 can of Chili
1 to 2 cans of corn
1 bottle whole tomatoes
1 can Italian or Mexican diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
-Combine ingredients and let simmer. Serve over corn chips, Top with Sour Cream and grated cheese. The great thing about this soup is we have served it without Corn chips, sour cream and cheese and it still tastes great! And all the other ingredients are great for food storage! So it is always easy and on hand. When I have a big day, I just throw it into my crock pot on low for 4-6 hrs.
Split Pea Soup
1 lb (2 cups) green split peas
1 large ham hock (usually left over from a ham roast for Sunday dinner)
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
3 carrots, peeled and cut into pieces.
1 large onion, peeled and cut into pieces
1 Bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
-Soak peas for a few hrs or overnight in water. Place peas in large pot with ham bone, potatoes, carrots, onion, bay leaf, 4 quarts of water. Cook over low heat about 4 hrs. Remove bone and bay leaf. Cut meat from bone and chop into small pieces to add to soup later. Place soup in blender; blend until smooth. Add chopped meat and season with salt and pepper. It does look like green baby food when it is done, but delicious!
*One of our favorite way to make a fresh fruit salad, is I try to use about 5 different fruits with the darkest colors and then squeeze any kind of citrus juice and a little grated rind with 1/2 tsp of vanilla! Our favorites are lime and tangerine!
*And my last tip for the day is delectable Mashed Potatoes. When Boiling mashed potatoes, add a couple cloves or TBLS of minced garlic, and chopped onion. They blend fairly well after they are all softened. We also add either olive oil or real butter, a little milk and salt and pepper.

A couple Bean recipies

New studies have shown that dried beans can be stored below 70* degrees for up to 30 years! The ideal temperature is 40* degrees in a room that does not fluctuate tempatures. Also the amount of beans needed to store for one person is 60 Lbs. I will post a new bean recipie every week. A lot of times I don't measure things, so you might have to play around with it until you find what tastes best to you. Ideas on how to use beans are;
-On the side (We like them with a fresh green salad and brown rice for a meal)
-In a salad
-Stuffed in whole wheat pita w/ lots of veggies and/or rice.
-Mixed with Pasta
-Refried (Tacos, Burritoes, enchiladas, Dip, etc...)
-Soups

Refried Beans- Soak 2 cups of either pinto beans or black beans (I use both) in 4 cups of water overnight. (To speed up the process, you can boil (3 mins) any dried beans in water with a couple Tablespoons of baking soda, then let them sit for an hour for every pound. Just rinse really well before using. This is also needed for those beans that have been in storage for a few years.) After soaking, keep just enough water to cover beans and ad 1- 14 oz of beef broth. Add 1/2 tsp crushed garlic, 1 medium chopped onion, 1 tsp cumin and dash of salt. Cook beans until tender, about 3 hours. Mash beans before serving. Beans store well in the refrigerator ( about 1 week) or the freezer.

I am learning a lot about canning, and last year I decided to brave my pressure cooker and use it for the first time (owned it for 3 yrs)! I have loved using it and it saves so much money. So I will also be adding different canning recipies this fall. But beans can be processed very easily. I used both pint and quart size jars and found that the quart size beans were a little dry and hard to get out of the bottom. (No pre-soaking)So for the pint size you fill with 1 cup of any dried beans, add a tsp salt, fill to bottom ridge with water and wipe off top and seal. Pressure cook at 10 Lbs for 1 hour and 15 mins. This is great to do any time of the year and a pint is about the same amount as a can of beans from the store. So I like to warm up my kitchen in the winter by doing this. Since the rest of canning is done at the hotest time of the year!