Whole Wheat Tortillas

Anyone who loves tacos or fajitas needs to try these! You will need to start them about an hour before you want to eat them, but they also keep well wrapped in a towel in an airtight container.

• 2c Whole wheat flour
• 1/2c All Purpose Flour
• 1ts salt
• 1/c coconut oil
• 3/4c boiling water

1. Sift together flours and salt.
2. Using fingers, break up coconut oil until it looks like coarse meal. 
3. Create well in the center and add boiling water. Create ball and press until mixed well. 
4. Separate into golf-sized balls, cover with a towel and let rest for 1 hour.

In a perfect world, everyone would have all the tools to do every job but stepping outside the box you can make your own tortilla press.

1. Place a long sheet of plastic wrap on a plate, place ball of dough in center and fold plastic wrap over it.

2. Use another plate to apply even pressure to flatten ball.

3. Keeping flatten ball in plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to roll dough out until thin.

4. Wipe a heavy frying/cast iron pan down with oil and heat on medium. Cook each side of tortilla 1-2 minutes until no longer raw.

Enjoy with Tacos, quesadillas, or fajitas! They keep well wrapped in a towel, in a container kept in the fridge.

Whole Wheat, Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies

Growing up, I could not stomach the taste of wheat bread. I am not sure why and, luckily, it was not genetic because the taste does not seem to bother her. That it not to say that my mom did not try but it took 25 years for me to become accustomed to it. I have begun to convert some of my beloved childhood recipes to include more refined and whole grain ingredients, which includes chocolate chip cookies.

• 4oz cream cheese
• 1 stick of butter, unsalted (room temp)
• 1/2c brown sugar, packed
• 1/4c turbinado sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2ts vanilla
• 1/2ts baking powder
• 1/4ts salt
• 1 1/4c whole wheat flour
• 1c semi-sweet/carob baking chips

1. Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream together butter and cream cheese then add sugars until uniform.
3. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
4. Add dry mixture and mix until just combined then fold in chocolate chip.
5. Drop cookies by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Let sit on the pan to finish setting before removing to cool on rack. 

Whole Wheat Carrot-Apple Muffins

Nothing says good morning like a muffin and carrot-apple is one of the best combinations hands down.

• 1c Whole Wheat Flour
• 1c Cake Flour
• 1ts baking powder
• 1ts baking soda
• 1/2ts salt
• 1TB cinnamon
• 1/2TB Ginger
• 1/2c Apple sauce
• 1/2c molasses
• 1/4c brown sugar plus 1/4c reserved
• 1 large egg
• 1c yogurt
• 2 large apples, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, shredded 
• You can also add 1/2c chopped nuts or oats (which you may need to add a bit of water for)

1. Sift together dry ingredients, except cinnamon and sugar, and set aside. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Place apple and carrots in a large bowl and add cinnamon, molasses and brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add apple sauce, yogurt and egg them mix until uniform.
4. Add dry ingredients and fold until mixed. You may need to add water to form a thin paste.
5. Divide batter among 12 lined cupcake wells and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven to 400 and bake for another 10-15 until done (clean poke test). 

Baked Brisket

Most people enjoy brisket as part of a boiled dinner but it is amazing baked. I created this dry rub and it was amazing!

• 5 lb point cut Brisket
• 2 TB molasses
• 1 ts dry mustard
• 1/2 ts pepper
• 1/2 ts chilli powder
• 1 ts onion powder
• 1/8c truffle oil
• 2c broth

Trim brisket a place in a broiling pan. Mix together the 5 spices and oil then rub on the outside and in crevices of brisket. Let rest for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake in an oven for 1 hour uncovered then add broth, cover tightly, reduce heat and bake for 3 hours, until meat falls apart.Reserve drippings for mushroom risotto.

 

Green Asparagus and Eggs

There is not much to say except I LOVE THIS MEAL! It is simple but amazing. I cook everything in one pot and could eat it every night... seriously.

• 1-2 bunches of asparagus
• 1 TB Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 eggs a person
• truffle oil
• 2 slices of dry whole grain toast per person 

 Rinse off asparagus and take one stock and bend until it snaps. This shows you where to line up the bunch in order to cut off the woody part. Fill a stock 1/2 full with water, add vinegar and a pinch of salt, add asparagus and heat on high. Continue to cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Spoon asparagus out of water (do not drain water) and transfer to ice bath for 30 seconds then lay on a towel to drain before plating.

Reduce water to medium, the carefully transfer eggs to water. Wait about a minute until adding next egg, leaving adequate space for eggs to spread. Cook for about 3 minutes then gently flip in the water and cook for another minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove from water and lay over spears on plate. Once your eggs are plated, sprinkle with salt and pepper then drizzle lighly with truffle oil. Serve with dry toast and enjoy!

Quinoa Patties

When I tell people that my family has adopted vegetarian habits, I am met with a list of reasons why the notion is pure silliness. However, it is proven that we can still meet out dietary needs because, vegetables, grains, products made from them and proper supplements, can meet the sum total of a more balanced diet that being omnivorous. 

Now, we did not become vegetarian because we think cows are too cute to eat. I actually believe that humans were meant to eat meat but the onset of commercial meat processing has made the products too dangerous. For one, the FDA cannot keep up with inspecting facilities at regular intervals and even if a facility passes (1,6), your food goes through several more hands and shipping facilities where it can be mishandled. 

However, that is not what it is most disturbing to me. Animals being housed in dirty facilities, some never see the light of day, and fed copious amounts hormones to make them grow faster; antibiotics to help ward off disease from being housed with too many other animals, living in excrement and possibly dead animals; and, food that is not intended to meet their dietary needs but only fatten them up and increase the profit of their handlers.

If that is not enough to turn your stomach, slaughtering facilities can potentially mishandle the meat, and thus lead to contamination (4), but additives are used to treat the meat to kill off biological contaminates and increase the shelf life of the product (5). This is an obvious problem because the antibiotics that the animals creates "super bugs." Processed meat is then often treated with ammonium products to kill of contaminates which can cause further mutation and potentially create "indestructible bugs" that even modern medicine does not have the means to treat (2,3). So, you can be dead from eating tainted meat before you even knew what hit you.

This is not to say that there are not "safe" meats. Proper handling of the meat once you get it home is key and the closer you are to the source the better off you are. Animals raised in a "cage-free" or "free-range" environment are healthier than their cage counterparts and, thus, yield better products. Even though food produced this way comes at a cost, it is worth the benefits that you will receive. In my case, in order to get grass-fed beef, I could pick it up froze at my local natural food store or order it through my local co-op. It takes a bit of leg work and networking, but the health of your family is worth it because you should be more involved with you food than just selecting this week's "special."

Either way, I digress because obviously there are potential risks from any food that we eat. That is why I try to get as much local, organic produce and local, free-range meats that I can and wash it/prepare it correctly! So, back to quinoa (KEEN-wa). It is a grain-like seed that is related to spinach and beets which is very high in protein (14 grams per serving) and other essential nutrients. I won't lie, the first time I made it I thought it was gross because it has taste like bland cornmeal but it can be transformed into so much more and these patties are a prime example. This is an excellent source of protein and amino acids that your body needs.

• 1c dried quinoa
• 1 1/2c vegetable broth/water
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 bunch of green onion, chopped
• 1/2c corn meal
• 1 egg
• 1 TB nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper to taste

 Mix quinoa and water/broth and heat over medium heat until boiling then cover and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork and set aside uncovered for 15 minutes. While waiting, add remaining ingredients together and mix well. When it is time, add to quinoa and mix well.

Form quarter cup patties and set on a large cookie sheet lined with plastic wrap. Cool for 1 to 12 hours. Fry in a pan on each side for 2-5 minutes or until crispy brown. Be gentle with the patties and try not to mess with them too much because they call fall apart easily. I served topped with veggie cheese and marinara sauce. You can also add veggies such as chopped spinach or shredded carrots!

Clockwise starting back left: Quinoa pattie, raw carrot "noodle," pureed cauliflower, and raw sugar snap peas.

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1). Chasseignaux, Elise, Pascale Gérault, Marie-Thérèse Toquin, Gilles Salvat, Pierre Colin, and Gwennola Ermel. "Ecology of Listeria Monocytogenes in the Environment of Raw Poultry Meat and Raw Pork Meat Processing Plants." FEMS Microbiology Letters 210.2 (2002)

2). Hoiby, N., T. Bjarnsholt, M. Givskov, S. Molin, and O. Ciofu. "Antibiotic Resistance of Bacterial Biofilms (Review)." INternational Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 35.10 (2010): 322-32. Epub.

3). Olson, Merle E., Howard Ceri, Douglas W. Morck, Andre G. Buret, and Ronald R. Read. "Biofilm Bacteria: Formation and Comparative Susceptibility to Antibiotics." Canadian Journal of Veterinarian Research 66.2 (2002): 86-92. Print.

4). Patterson, John T. "Hygiene in Meat Processing Plants: Hot-water Washing of Carcases." Record of Agricultural Research 18 (1970): 85-87. Print.

5). Quintavalla, Stefania, and Loredana Vicini. "Antimicrobial Food Packaging in Meat Industry." Meat Science 62.3 (2002): 373-80. Print.

6). Stull, Donald D., Michael J. Broadway, and David Craig Griffith. Any Way You Cut It: Meat Processing and Small-town America. Lawrence, Kan.: University of Kansas, 1995. Print.

Lupper, Brupper, Brinner Oat-jacks

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day (and one of the most often skipped), and it is also delicious regardless of the time of day. One thing that I have learned with Skye is that kids are not in tune with what adults have adopted as conventional practices. I found that if I wanted her to eat it meant compromise which led me to wonder: "Did it really matter what she was eating when she was eating it as long as it was good for her?" 

Because our diet is typically low carb,does it really matter when we are eating it? I say "no" because anyone with a child knows that getting them to eat is half the battle. If my daughter wants to eat "breakfast" three times a day, more power to her, because when I was her age, I probably would have picked dessert.

• 1/2c plain greek yogurt
• 1/2c almond milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 TB raw honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2c Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 tsp baking soda

Mix all the ingredients together in order and allow to rest for 15 minutes. It should look a bit bubbly afterward. Drop 1/4c at a time into a griddle over medium heat and cook like usual pancakes. Serve with agave nectar/honey and fresh fruit. Whether you eat these at breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack, they are sure to please.

Now that's fresh Tomatillo-Pepper Salsa

I love spice and salsa offers the best of all the flavor profiles. It can be sweet, savory, spicy, tart and so on and so forth. However, by biggest bone to pick with salsa is that most commercial varieties are soggy and are a monochrome color though they claim to have a more than just tomatoes represented. I made this recipe up on a whim to use up my salsa verde base and it turned out to be a great success. 

• 1-2 large fresh tomatillos, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 bunch of green onion, chopped
• 1/2 orange pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 c tomatillo salsa verde
• 1TB cider vinegar

Mix everything together and allow to marinate for a couple hours before using. This is not as soupy as conventional salsa but it is a crisp, fresh and vibrant alternative. I chose not to add tomatoes because they tend to "deflate" after a day but you are more than welcome to add them or maybe corn, zucchini or chickpeas.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

I try to make a habit of finding new and unusual items at the market. I will bring them home and research how they are prepared and then add my own personal style and tastes into them. Cooking should not be seen as just the act of making tasty treats because it is an art form. Recipes are merely the blueprints to discover a new dish, but, as with any destination, there are several routes to get there and incorporating your own personal flavor makes it your own.

I had tomatilloes at the grocery store and always mistook them to be green tomatoes, but they are actually more complex than that. They are more like sticky, green peppers that have crisp, bitter and spicy flavor. This is the cooked base that I incorporate into my fresh salsa. 

• 1lb tomatilloes, washed and chopped
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 serrano chili, chopped
• 2Tb cilantro, minced
• 1Tb oregano, minced
• 1Tb garlic,minced
• 1tsp cumin
• 2c water

Combine all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan over high heat until it comes to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover. Continue to cook until the tomatilloes start to break down (15-20 minutes). Cool for 15 minutes and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. Store in a mason jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Make your own vanilla...

I love vanilla. So it should come to no surprise how much I use. On top of storing vanilla beans in my sugar, I also figured out how to make my own because I am cheap... LOL.

It is so simple and versatile that it's almost ridiculous.

• Medium Mason Jar with lid
• Alcohol (minimum of 80 proof)
• 3 vanilla beans per ever cup of alcohol used

Place vanilla beans in a clean Mason Jar. Add alcohol, shake and place in a cool dark place that you'll remember to shake every couple of days. Extract will be ready to use in four weeks. I make mine in 2c batches and favorites alcohols to use are spiced rum, vodka and ginger whiskey. :-)

Vanilla made with spiced rum (left) and vanilla vodka (right)

5 Ingredient Banana Cookies

Good food does not have to have dozens of ingredients and you should be able to recognize most of them. Since having my daughter three years ago, I have tried to make a couple commitments to my family. One is "If I can make it, I will or we don't eat it." By doing this, I control the portions and the quality of the components in each recipe. I am not going to lie, this IS NOT EASY. I work and have several commitments but my husband and I owe it to our daughter, who is at the mercy of what we feed her. 

The other is "Keep it simple and in it's most basic state when ever possible." This goes back to my first statement as well as adding the component of ensuring that food retain as much nutrients as possible. We are always teaching our kids that they are perfect just the way they are, why would produce be any different?, because eating food is not just about fulfilling cravings but also about giving our body what it needs to stay healthy, which will in turn make you happy. Food contains macro- and micronutrients and the more you process food the more they are damaged and cannot carry out their functions. There are somethings that we cannot avoid cooking, such as many meats, fish and certain vegetables. But on the same token, not all foods need you to cook them. 

Before I digress too far, I'll share with you a cookie recipe that my daughter cannot get enough of. It relies on the natural sweetness of its components without adding anything else. They are the texture of a moist granola bar and taste like banana bread.

• 3 overripe bananas
• 1/2c of oil (I prefer 1/4c sunflower and 1/2c walnut)
• 1tsp vanilla
• 3c Old Fashion oats
• 1/2c dried fruit or shredded carrots

Mix ingredients in order and let sit for 15 minutes. Scoop by the tablespoonful onto a baking sheet and make in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, remove, cool and enjoy!