Soaked Crispy Nuts

I soak all the nuts and seeds I use in my kitchen.  Almonds, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts.....all of them go through the soak bath and get dehydrated, then put in the freezer until I need them.

Method:

ALMONDS - 4 cups raw almonds, 1 Tablespoon sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

CASHEWS - 4 cups "raw" cashews (Real raw cashews are hard to come by because the hulling process uses heat.  Just don't use dry roasted nuts.)
1 Tablespoon sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak no more than 6 hours.  Longer will cause them to get slimy.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear. With cashews it takes a few rinsings.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at 200 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.
(200 degrees is used instead of a lower temperature because the enzymes have already been destroyed in the hulling process and it's good to get these nuts dried quickly to avoid them getting slimy or developing an "off" taste.)  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

MACADAMIA NUTS -  4 cups nuts, 1 Tablespoon sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

PEANUTS -  4 cups raw peanuts, 1 Tablespoon sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

PECANS -  4 cups raw pecans, 2 teaspoons sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

PINE NUTS -  4 cups raw pine nuts, 1 Tablespoon sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

WALNUTS - 4 cups walnuts, 2 teaspoons sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

PUMPKIN SEEDS are also something that benefit from soaking.
4 cups nuts, 2 Tablespoons sea salt, filtered water to cover by 2-3  inches.
You can also add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper for a kick.
Soak at least 7 hours or overnight in a warm place.
Drain and then rinse well until water runs clear.  Drain well.
Dehydrate in oven or dehydrator at no more than 150 degrees for 12-24 hours, or until crispy and completely dry.  Store in an airtight container.  I actually use freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

Energy Bars

These are fantastic for hikes, bike rides, little bites when running, etc.

What you need:

2 cups crispy almonds.  Look here for how to make soaked crispy nuts.
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup cocoa powder, raw cacao powder or carob powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

Method:

Process almonds in food processor until finely ground.

Add coconut and sesame seeds and process until mixed well.

Melt together honey, your choice of cocoa, cacao or carob powder, salt and vanilla.
Add to mixture in processor and process until well blended.

Sandwich the mixture between greased sheets of parchment paper on a jelly roll pan.  I roll it out with a rolling pin or piece of PVC pipe until it's about 1/4 inch thick.

Refrigerate until firm and then cut into bars.

Apple Cranberry Galette

What you need:

Pastry

1 1/4 cup pastry flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 - 1/3 cup +/-  ice water

Combine flour and salt well.
Cut in butter until the flour looks like coarse meal with some bigger chunks of butter still left in it.
Add ice water, starting with 3T and mix until you get a dough ball that is neither too wet nor too dry.

Roll out on floured board to about 15 inches around and transfer to a 10 inch pie plate.  Don't cut off the edges.

Filling

5 good-sized apples, peeled and sliced.  I use Fuji most often.
2 T sugar
1 T flour
2 t cinnamon
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 T butter
1/4 cup caramel apple butter, or just apple butter

Mix together for dusting the pastry:
1 T sugar
2 t cinnamon

Spread the apple butter in the bottom of the pie shell.

Combine sliced apples, sugar, flour and cinnamon and cranberries.
Dump into the pie shell and then dot with the butter.
Fold the edges of the pastry up and over the filling in a kind of rustic look.

Bake at 400* for 30 minutes. Take out of the oven.

Add custard filling (below) by pouring it into the hole in the top of the galette.

Spray the pastry with a little mist of water and then dust the edges of the pastry with the 1 T sugar and 2 t cinnamon mixture.

Bake an additional 10-20 minutes until the custard is set.

Remove from oven and cool.
Store in refrigerator until serving.


Custard Filling

1 egg
1 T melted butter
1 T sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2

Tapioca Pudding

This is a family favorite, served with canned cherries!

1/3 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey
3 Tablespoons tapioca (not pearls)
2 3/4 cup milk
1 egg, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugar, tapioca, mild and egg in medium saucepan.  Let sit 5 minutes.

Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a full boil.

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.

Cool 20 minutes.
Stir and serve.

Cranberry Orange Relish

This is an old family favorite, first made by my mom for our Thanksgiving dinners.

2 12 oz. bags of cranberries, ground using fine blade of food grinder
2 large oranges, peeled, ground using large blade of food grinder
1 Tablespoon orange zest
3/4 cup sugar or 1/2 cup honey
1 Tablespoon of orange juice concentrate (optional
Mom added a tablespoon or so of brandy, too, but we haven't done that much in later years.

Mix well, refrigerate overnight and serve.

Russian Cream

This is a recipe shared with us by one of our quilting buddies.  I'm giving two versions for you to consider.

Original Version

18 servings, which fits in a bundt pan perfectly

2 1/4 cup sugar

3 envelopes of gelatin or 7 1/2 teaspoons bulk

1 1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 pint whipping cream

4 1/2 cups sour cream

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Mix sugar and gelatin.

Add water and let sit 5 minutes

Bring to a boil stirring constantly.

In a separate bowl, mix together whipping cream, sour cream and vanilla.

Dump boiling mixture into cream mixture and mix well until very smooth and creamy.

Lightly grease a mold (bundt pan, bowl, etc.), and pour mixture into it, or into separate serving dishes.

Refrigerate at least 4-6 hours.  Overnight is better.

Serve with fresh fruit and berries.

Revised Version

18 servings, which fits in a bundt pan perfectly

1 1/4 cup honey

3 envelopes of gelatin or 7 1/2 teaspoons bulk

1 1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 pint raw whipping cream

4 1/2 cups yogurt made with 1/2 & 1/2 or cream

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Mix honey and gelatin.

Add water and let sit 5 minutes

Bring to a boil stirring constantly.

In a separate bowl, mix together whipping cream, yogurt and vanilla.

Dump boiling mixture into cream mixture and mix well until very smooth and creamy.

Lightly grease a mold (bundt pan, bowl, etc.), and pour mixture into it, or into separate serving dishes.

Refrigerate at least 4-6 hours.  Overnight is better.

Serve with fresh fruit and berries.

Broccoli with Garlic and Butter

A family favorite.  I never in my wildest dreams thought that broccoli would be the vegetable that every member of my family likes!

2 heads of broccoli

4 cloves of garlic, minced, or if you're short on time, garlic powder will work

3 Tablespoons of butter

Cut the broccoli into florettes

Trim and peel

Steam for 5 minutes or so, or for as long as you desire.  I like mine a bit crisp rather than mushy.

(This works well, but something like this is ideal!)

At this point, the broccoli can be set aside and finished at mealtime.

Prepare the butter and garlic by melting the butter in a small skillet or saucepan over low heat.

Add the minced garlic (or garlic powder) and let simmer in the butter for 10 minutes or so.  

Pour the butter over the broccoli and warm them together if you've prepared the broccoli earlier.

Roast Bottom or Top Round of Beef

Once again, my clay pot is my roasting tool of choice.

Beef top or bottom round roast, 3-4 pounds
2 medium onions, sliced
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 T chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups water, or combination of red wine and water

Soak the clay pot.

Put the onions in the bottom of the clay pot.

Rub the roast with salt and pepper.  Place the roast on top of the onions.

Sprinkle with garlic and rosemary

Pour in the water/wine around the roast, not washing the spices and garlic off the meat.

Roast in a 350* oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Macaroni & Cheese

Comfort food, for sure!

Ingredients:

1 pound macaroni
1 pound cheddar cheese

White sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk

Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Boil the macaroni per package directions.
Drain well.

Cut cheese into 1/2 inch cubes

Make white sauce:

Melt butter in saucepan.
Add flour and mix well to make a paste.
Cook over medium heat until bubbly.
Add milk and whisk until smooth.
Cook over low heat until thickened.

Mix macaroni, cheese and white sauce together and put in a greased casserole dish.  I use a larger flat one so there's more crispy bits, which is what my family likes.

Bake at 350* for about 30 minutes.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I came across this idea a few years ago.  It is awesome in the fall when there's some crispness to the air and the smell of woodsmoke is becoming common.  Perfect for the shortening autumn days.

A note about sweet potatoes and yams......As I understand it, what we have here in the States in our grocery stores are sweet potatoes.  They come in either light skin and white flesh or copper skin and orange flesh varieties and are relatively small in size.  Yams, on the other hand, can range in size from regular potato size to 5 feet long.  They have a black bark-like skin and come in different flesh colors.  They are not common here.

That being said, I much prefer the white variety of sweet potato and use them exclusively.

Ingredients:

2 large white-flesh sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, cut in 1 inch dice, layers separated
4 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
1-2 Tablespoons fresh Rosemary, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 T or so of Olive or Coconut Oil

I use a glass baking dish lined with parchment paper, or sometimes my clay pot, for roasting this dish.

So, prepare your vessel of choice, add the potatoes, onions and garlic.
Toss with oil, salt and pepper and rosemary.

Bake at 375* for about an hour.  Yum!!

Roasted Red Potatoes

This is about as "comfort food" as you can get!

I use good quality organic red potatoes for this dish and my clay pot.  A glass baking dish lined with parchment paper will also work.  The clay pot just gives them such a marvelous flavor and texture.

Ingredients:
Organic Red Potatoes to feed your crowd.
Olive or Coconut oil (I use 76* Aunt Patty's refined coconut oil because it hasn't the coconut flavor of virgin coconut oil but is still good quality)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 T +/- Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Soak the clay pot, if using.

Scrub the potatoes and dry them well.

Depending on the size of the potatoes, quarter or eighth them into chunks.
Put them into the clay pot or baking dish, drizzle with olive or coconut oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and rosemary.
Toss all of it well.
Bake at 400* for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until they reach the crispness you like.

Oven Fries

The quality of the potatoes will make a huge difference in how these come out.  I use Yukon Golds whenever I can get organics.  Potatoes are one of the things I don't buy unless they are organically grown.

Ingredients:

However many potatoes you need to feed your family or guests.
Coconut Oil
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Granules

I scrub the potatoes, dry them well and then slice them into strips that are about 1/4-3/8" thick and an inch or so wide.

Prepare your glass baking dish by lining it with parchment paper, adding some coconut oil, just enough to coat the parchment paper well, add salt, pepper and garlic granules to your taste and then pile the potatoes in there.  Mix them up, turning well to coat with coconut oil and spices.  You want as close to a single layer as you can get.  They crisp up best when they're not layered on top of each other.

Bake in a 400* oven for 90 minutes, turning about every half hour.  You can bake longer or shorter based on how crispy you like them.  My kids like them crunchy, my grandkids like them soft!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

These get good reviews!

2 cups GF Flour Blend
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coconut milk
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tablespoons coconut oil (or melted butter if not dairy-free)
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/4 t lemon juice

Combine dry ingredients and mix well.

Combine wet ingredients and mix well.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well with a hand mixer or whisk until smooth.

Scoop into cupcake liners and bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes.  Your oven, humidity and origin of flour will dictate how long it takes to bake them.  Just keep checking. :-)

Gluten-Free Flour Blend

I use this recipe one-to-one as a replacement for regular flour in just about any recipe I make.

1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 1/4 cup white rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup sweet rice flour
2 scant teaspoons guar gum powder

I throw it all in a zip-loc bag and shake it around until it's blended well.  I store it in the bag, or transfer it to a glass jar.

Thanks to my daughter-in-law, Sarah, for this recipe!