This was a busy week in the kitchen. Some of it was not real food, I made English muffin breakfast sandwiches for my hubby to take to work when he works overnights, and granola for him (one of these days I would like to find a good recipe for soaked oats granola, but this was regular granola), and oatmeal cookies and deviled eggs for a funeral at my church.
But there were other real food activities as well. I have been trying to follow Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen’s Real Food Challenge, with some success. I already did the Day 15 assignment, since I have kefir going on the counter, and a ginger beer plant resting in the fridge. I’d like to try water kefir one of these days too. I didn’t make any yogurt or cheese, but I roasted some walnuts for pesto for the Day 19 assignment (and was interested to learn that blanched almond flour is OK to use; I had been worrying about that). I soaked a big pot of chickpeas, which I used in Crispy Garbanzo Beans, my friend Sigga’s coriander hummus, and Crockpot Honey Lentils.
And for the Day 21 assignment, I made arugula pesto with lightly cooked arugula and olive oil (seems right on for that assignment!) as well as beet kvass. Finally, for a vegetable “dish” that is fun, I made amazing chocolate beet muffins.
Someone else has been busy in my kitchen too, emptying out drawers and cupboards, so hopefully my hubby gets child safety locks put on soon!
Go take a look at GNOWFGLINS to see what is twisting in everyone else’s kitchens this week!
Cooking without almost everything 
February 23, 2010 at 6:17 pm |
Wow you had a busy kitchen week with a busy little helper! I remember when my kids were that age we ate a whole lot of processed food because I needed to turn all my attention to being sure they weren’t in harms way or destroying something.
I just made soaked granola and Wardeh has a recipe on her site for some too. I just use my regular granola recipe (4 cups oats, 2 cups coconut, 1/2 cup coconut oil, 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey, cinnamon & nutmeg) but I soak the oats overnight in water with whey or buttermilk. Then I let them drain in a colander for an hour or two, mix everything together including crispy nuts or dried fruit of your choice and put it in the dehydrator on a teflar tray for about 24 hours. It comes out soft but then you can put it on the reglar tray and leave it in until hard or put it in your oven until hard. I think it’s too hard that way though so we just crumble them to eat in a bowl or cut into bars. I freeze about 2/3 of it since it won’t last as long as something dry will. Wardeh has a different technique that I haven’t tried yet since my little guy likes these “breakfast cookies” just the way they are. You are making great progress on your challenge!
February 24, 2010 at 2:37 pm |
My, but you have been busy. I did not know that about the almonds – thanks for mentioning it. Too cute that someone is emptying out your drawers behind you. 🙂
February 25, 2010 at 11:29 pm |
You have been busy! Isn’t it great that blanched almond flour doesn’t need to be soaked! It was also used quite heavily until the 19th century in confections and sweets – *VERY* traditional.
February 26, 2010 at 5:13 am |
Jenny – is that true of other nuts too? Is the phytic acid just in the skin? I’m planting 2 filberts and an almond tree right now and dreaming of nut butters…