Mint Tea w Stevia
I decided to grow Stevia this summer and now that it is a healthy plant with many branches I trimmed one branch with maybe 20 leaves on it and added it to 10 stalks of fresh Spearmint and 2 stalks of fresh peppermint. Steeped in 2 quarts of just boiled filtered water it makes a delicious cold or hot tea. The Stevia was actually too sweet so next time I will cut it back to 10 leaves per 2 quarts of water.
Soy Shake with Strawberries: 1 cup lite soy milk, plain, 6 to 8 frozen strawberries, 1 scoop Plant Protein Powder, 1 stick of Inulin Fiber. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You can substitute any fruit, fresh or frozen. One of my favorites is a banana and a tablespoon of cocoa powder.
Blackberry Mango Shake: 1 cup fresh blackberries, 4 large strawberries, handful of frozen mango, 1 cup apple juice. Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
Fresh Vegetable Soup: Place 1 stalk celery, 1 seeded red bell pepper , handful fresh parsley, 1/2 cup water, in the blender and blend until smooth. Add 2 medium baked and peeled beets and 1 baked carrot. Puree until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Add juice from half a lemon or lime and possibly a tablespoon of greek nonfat yogurt.
Baked Beets and Carrots: It’s hard to blend some of the vegetables and I don’t have a juicer, yet, so I place the beets and carrots in a foil pouch and bake them in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Just until they are tender. Then peel the beets and puree.
I’ve had numerous requests for this recipe. It is from an old cookbook about Victory Gardens that were planted during World War II. My son took a jar of these to his wrestling banquet last year and the team emptied it in record time. The award won is a blue ribbon at the Great Frederick Fair.
Dilly Bean Pickles
2 pounds fresh, green beans left whole
4 small cloves garlic, peeled
4 heads fresh dill or 4 tsp dill seeds
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2 1/2 cups filtered water
3 tblsp Kosher salt
Wash beans. Peel garlic. In each of 4 sterilized pint canning jars place 1 clove of garlic, 1 head of dill or 1tsp dill seeds, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Fit beans into jars vertically, packing them tightly. Allow 1/2 inch of space at the top of each jar. (I pack them with the blossom end up and evenly slice the ends off leaving 1/2 inch of space.) Bring vinegar, water and salt to a boil, stirring enough to dissolve salt. Pour hot liquid over beans filling to within 1/4 inch of rim. Fasten clean, new canning jar lids and rings onto tops of jars following manufacturers directions. Place jars in canning rack and lower slowly into warm bath with 2 inches of water covering jars. Bring water bath to boil and process at a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Remove rack of jars carefully and allow to cool away from drafts and or cold air. Check lids for seal and remove rings after 24 hours. Pickles will be ready to eat by Christmas.
Adding green, white, blue, purple, orange, yellow and red fruits and veggies to your meals takes imagination and a well-stocked refrigerator. So far today I’ve added a banana to my soy shake and thinly sliced cucumbers to my bagel and cream cheese. Bananas are a white fruit so I’ve consumed 1 white and 1 green serving, at least 5 to go.
When combat shopping at the local food warehouse I will lug home a very large bag of frozen strawberries. They have been flash frozen at the field and carry the red nutrients that can be added to breakfast shakes or blend them with a little pineapple juice for a great ice cream sauce. Of course vanilla ice cream is a faux white fruit.
Apply your creativity and let me know how you are going to add fruits and vegetables to every meal and snack. Remember that a variety of colors and at least 7 servings per day is the goal. Then we can truly have a healthchat.
As promised to all my linked-in associates, here is one of the bread recipes that I use for my kids lunches:
Whole Wheat Slow Rise Bread
4 cups whole wheat flour ( bread flour works best)
2 cups unbleached white flour ( look for bread flour)
1/2 tsp yeast
3 cups lukewarm water, use a candy thermometer, 110 to 115 degrees F
1 tablespoon salt
Place the water in a glass measuring cup and place in the microwave for one minute. Stir and heat for one minute more. Place the thermometer in the water and when it registers 115 degrees add the yeast and stir gently until it dissolves. Pour the yeast mixture into the mixing bowl of your KitchenAid mixer, attach the mixing paddle and add 3 cups of the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the white flour. Beat the mixture to mix it thoroughly and then beat for an additional 1 minute to develop the gluten. If you are mixing the bread by hand, mix the ingredients and then beat it 300 strokes with a wooden spoon. This is called the bread sponge. Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
Allow the sponge to sit and work for 30 to 40 minutes max. Meanwhile prepare a deep bowl by spraying it with butter spray along the bottom and sides. When the sponge is finished working add the salt and 1 cup of the whole wheat flour and attach the dough hook to your mixer. Work the dough with the hook on the #2 setting until the flour is blended. Reduce the speed to #1 and knead the bread into a ball adding the final cup of white flour gradually whenever the dough sticks to the bowl. When the dough has formed a non-sticky ball, return the mixer speed to #2 and knead for one minute more.
If you are kneading by hand add the whole wheat flour to the sponge and mix it until it is incorporated. Then turn the dough onto a flat, floured surface and knead, using the last cup of white flour to keep it from sticking. Knead for 7 to 10 minutes.
Place the dough into the prepared bowl, cover with a damp towel and allow to raise at room temperature until doubled in size. Because the yeast amount is small, this first rise should take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. Check back after 2. Poke your index finger into the center. I the hole does not fill in it is ready. Punch it down with your hand, cover it and allow it to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the baking pans and shaping surface.
Oil spray two bread baking pans. If they are new wash them with hot, soapy water, dry them and rub the inside of them with cooking oil and a paper towel. Then spray them when you are ready to use them. For shaping the bread you will need an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of white flour and a flat, clean surface. I like using a thin plastic cutting board which is about 9×13 inches.
Sprinkle half of the flour on the board and place half of the bread dough on the floured surface. Shape it into a circle. Rock your knuckles into the dough beginning at one end and pushing the dough into an oval. You are pushing the air bubbles out of the dough. Fold the dough in half and start at one end pushing the air bubbles out with your knuckles once again. You should now have a long smile shaped piece of dough. Fold the dough over itself in thirds and knuckle it once more. Then role it beginning with the longer side into a tube and press down on the ends to seal them. Keep rolling back and forth until the seam on the bottom of the loaf is sealed. Place in the bread pan and cover with a damp towel for 45 minutes to an hour or until doubled in size. Repeat the shaping and rising with the second loaf.
When the loaves have risen, place them in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Tap the loaves to test for doneness, they will sound hollow. Remove immediately from the bread pan. You should be able to turn the pan over and give it a shake. The bread should fall out. If it doesn’t, gently place a table knife between the loaf and the pan and separate the spots that are sticking. The bread should cool completely on a bakers rack before being stored in a plastic bag and/or frozen. For the loaf that you are going to eat right away, after one day store it in the refrigerator.
Make sure you have a sharp bread knife and gently saw thru the loaf. Of course fresh bread from the oven makes a great snack for a tired cook. Enjoy!
Healthchat.blog