Curried Venison (or Beef) Stew

I was concocting dinner one night and stumbled upon this creation. It was so tasty, my family gobbled it up.

1 lb ground venison or beef
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 lb carrots, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 lb frozen peas
14 oz can whole tomatoes in juice, roughly chopped
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 Tbl Curry Powder
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp cumin
1 cup coconut milk
chopped green onions, raisins, chopped nuts for garnish

Saute onion and carrots in oil until onions become translucent. Add ground meat and stir to break up. Add cauliflower, peas, tomatoes + juice.

Cover and cook over medium heat until cauliflower is soft and beef is cooked through.

Add seasonings - and more, if needed - to taste. Just before serving, add coconut milk.

Serve with chopped green onions, raisins and chopped nuts.

Barely serves 4 - but over rice, it would probably serve 8.

Corn Bread

This turned out dense, moist, and delicious. My six nephews & nieces, two children, and everyone else who graced our Thanksgiving table kept asking for more. It requires 31 hours of prep time, so plan ahead. But the end result is more than worth it! Serve with grass-fed butter. No one will even think about honey or molasses.

31 Hours Before Baking

Soak for 7 hours
5 cups cornmeal in
2 1/2 cups lime water

24 Hours Before Baking

Soak the lime-soaked cornmeal in
2 cups whole milk yogurt OR
2 cups almond milk/coconut milk (for dairy-free)

When Ready To Bake

Combine
4 large, pastured eggs
3/4 cup melted grass-fed butter or coconut oil (for dairy-free)
1/2 cup raw honey
1 1/2 TB aluminum-free baking soda
2 1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 400F.
Butter a 9x13 pan plus a 9x9 pan.
Blend soaked cornmeal and egg mixtures. just until combined.
Pour into prepared pans.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until center is just set and edges are slightly browning.

Spinach/Rice Souffle

Very nourishing, but not so frugal, this makes a tasty brunch entree. It also works fabulously as lunch. (Ben takes it to work and reheats two pieces in the toaster oven.) If you have a husband who doesn't think that real men don't eat quiche, you can also serve it for dinner.

Enjoy!

12 large eggs
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp rubbed sage
16 oz bag of frozen chopped spinach
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp ground mustard (optional)
4 grated carrots (optional)
4 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)
3 cups cooked brown rice (made with 1/2 chicken stock + 1/2 water)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Butter a 9x13 glass baking dish.
Beat eggs, cottage cheese and seasonings together in mixer. Add remaining ingredients. Mix gently until all incorporated.
Pour into prepared dish.
Bake 45-60 minutes until bubbling minimizes and eggs are "set."
Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into 16 pieces.

Coconut Flour Banana Bread

5 large Eggs
1/2 cup Butter
2 cups Banana, roughly mashed
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
2 Tbs Honey
1 Tbs Vanilla
3/4 cup Coconut Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup Blueberries, optional

Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Preheat oven to 325 F.

Beat all ingredients (except flour, soda, vinegar and berries) on high for 2 minutes. Slowly add flour, vinegar and baking soda, just until moistened. Stir in berries by hand.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 70 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn onto cooling rack.
It makes delicious french toast.

Please consider taking action

Although I started this blog primarily as a place for me to post my own recipes for my own recollection, I feel this is worth noting.

On both The Nourishing Gourmet and The Nourished Kitchen, you will find information related to bills in the US House of Representatives and the US Senate that concern the freedom of consumers to purchase food from local sources. It appears there are attempts to quickly push through this legislation to avoid grassroots resistance.

Please leave a comment if you have more information or know how others can get involved. And please consider contacting your representatives even multiple times. Urge them to vote against these dangerous bills which will limit the freedoms of individual Americans and will quickly cripple small farmers who sell directly to consumers.

Sourdough Bread

This bread has evolved over the past year. We need to avoid wheat (but not gluten), so I've been using a gluten-free baking flour. But I'm posting here a version that uses wheat, since most people will find that to be the ideal bread flour.

* 4 cups Sourdough Starter
* 1 Tbls + 1 tsp Sea Salt
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 cup filtered water
* 3 Tbs Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
* 5 to 7 cups freshly ground Kamut, Spelt or Whole Wheat flour or a combination

Place starter, sea salt and water in the mixing bowl. Slowly advance speed to high. Beat for 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating for a full minute between each. Add oil one tablespoon at a time, again beating one minute between each addition. Reduce mixer speed to medium low and add flour 1/4 cup at a time, increasing mixer speed and beating on high for 15-20 seconds after each addition. It should take a full 5 minutes to add the flour until the dough begins to stiffen. At that point, change to the dough hook to add any remaining flour. When the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl, allow to knead for 8 minutes on medium low without adding any additional flour.

Grease a large glass bowl with butter or palm kernel oil. Using your still-buttery hands, remove the dough from the mixing bowl, rub one side lightly with butter/oil. Place dough, un-greased side down, in prepared bowl and cover with light towel. Allow to rise 4 to 12 hours in warm place in the kitchen.

After dough has doubled, grease two glass or stoneware bread pans. Lightly dust counter with flour. Empty dough from bowl and cut in half. Press into a rectangle the width of your bread pan. Gently roll up (away from yourself) to create a cylinder the width of the bread pan. Place loaves in pans. Place pans in cold oven on middle shelf and cover with light cloth. Place a heat-resistant empty glass container on the oven shelf beneath the loaf pans.

Boil water on the stove and pour into the empty glass container. Close oven door and allow loaves to rise undisturbed for 2 - 3 hours. When loaves have either doubled in size or filled the loaf pans and are beginning to rise over the lip, remove the container with water from the oven. Remove the cloth. Turn on oven to 350F. Turn on timer to 45 minutes.

Bread is done when the loaf is a light brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the side or bottom. Remove loaves from oven and bread pans to cool on baking racks. Cover loaves with light towel until cool.

Sourdough Starter

Last March, I got ambitious. I decided to try making my own sourdough starter. Part of the reason is because I'm cheap and didn't want to buy a starter that might flop (looking back, this doesn't really make sense when you see what is involved in making your own). Another reason was that I wanted to start right away and I didn't want to wait for a starter to come in the mail (again, this doesn't make sense since a starter would likely have arrived in the mail in less than a week). Finally, and probably most importantly, I wanted to know exactly what was in my bowl.

This recipe comes from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. I've heard from several people who said they didn't care for it. Or maybe they tried making her sourdough bread recipe from another starter and weren't crazy about that. Either way, I understand that it may not work for everyone. But it has worked very well for baking bread so far. I have not used it for muffins or pancakes or other sweet-type baking, but I may get ambitious again soon and branch out!

To begin, you will need two large clean glass/ceramic mixing bowls, approx. 6-qt capacity.

Day 1:

Finely grind 2 cups of organic rye berries.

Add 2 cups of filtered water.

Mix well.

Cover with a doubled sheet of cheesecloth and secure to bowl with a rubber band.

Place in a warm, preferably sunny, place in your kitchen.

Day 2-7:

Finely grind 1 cup of organic rye berries.

Place in a new, clean bowl.

Add 1 cup filter water.

Mix well.

Transfer previous days' starter into the new bowl.

Cover with a doubled sheet of cheesecloth and secure to bowl with a rubber band.

Place in a warm, preferably sunny, place in your kitchen.

Day 8:

Before you feed your starter, remove 4 cups to make bread.

Grind 1 cup organic rye berries.

Place in new, clean bowl.

Add 1 cup filtered water.

Mix well.

Transfer previous days' starter into the new bowl.

Cover with a doubled sheet of cheesecloth and secure to bowl with a rubber band.

Place in a warm, preferably sunny, place in your kitchen.

Repeat for three days and bake more bread or share some starter with a friend.

Here are a couple of tips that might prove helpful:

* Although I have been using rye, I'm told you can also use whole wheat if you prefer.

* Additionally, I've been told that you can start by using rye and then begin adding whole wheat and that creates a nice sourdough as well. I don't have experience with either. But it may be worth a try, if you're up for the adventure!

* Starter can be refrigerated in a tightly closed jar for up to one week. When ready to use, remove from fridge, empty jar(s) into glass bowl and bring to room temperature. Feed with 1 cup flour and 1 cup water. Repeat for three days before using to bake bread.

Kefir

Kefir is a cultured milk product created when Kefir grains are added to un-homogenized milk and allowed to sit at room temperature for a couple of days.

Kefir provides countless health benefits from the beneficial bacteria that it encourages to grow in the intestinal tract. It is better for children than plain milk or even yogurt because it does not promote mucus. Today I read an article that promoted Kefir's ability to improve bone health due to the body's increased absorption of Vitamin D from Kefir. 

Unfortunately, Kefir has a strong flavor that might be less than palatable at first. But James and I both find it delicious by blending it with frozen fruit and a splash of vanilla extract. I also use it to "soak" grain flours for making muffins and pancakes. It turns out some of the lightest and tastiest whole-grain baked goods.

You can find grains at this site: www.happyherbalist.com. Or you can try to find someone to share them with you. They multiply and grow each time they culture fresh milk, so although I started with a tablespoon or two from a farmer last year, I still have approx. 1 1/2 cups, even though I've passed along grains to others.

Here are instructions on how to culture milk with Kefir grains:

* The grains should not come in contact with chlorinated water or stainless steel.
* You will need a plastic colander with small holes for draining and rinsing the grains.
* I use glass jars or bottles for culturing the milk and plastic spoons for transferring the grains to the milk.
* To begin, start with fresh unhomogenized milk.
* Start by rinsing the grains with filtered water.
* Drain well then add the grains to the milk (start with 1 Tbls grains to 1 qt of milk)

* Tightly cap the bottle/jar and shake well.
* Set the jar/bottle on the counter for 1-3 days.
* Periodically shake the milk throughout the next day or so until you see the milk start to look a bit like the Kefir grains.
* Drain into a large glass measuring/mixing bowl with pour spout.
* Pour the Kefir back into the jar or bottle and refrigerate.
* Either begin the process again with fresh milk - OR -
* Rinse the grains well and place in a small glass jar. 

* Cover with filtered water.
* Refrigerate the grains for up to a week, and then begin a new batch.

Creamy Potato Soup

Okay, wow... when I saw the date of my last post, I was quite surprised. How does time fly so fast without my realizing it? Well, there are no guarantees that I will do a lot of posting any time soon. But I do have another soup that I want to recall, since Ben raved and raved about it.

I suspect the reason that I post soup recipes is that I want to make them again without too much trouble. So it's helpful to write down what I tossed into the pot. Hopefully I can make this again without too much trouble, since I have no idea how much of the seasonings I added - oops!

8 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery with leaves, diced
1 large onion, diced (can be eliminated for migraine-sensitive people)
2 quarts chicken stock (homemade, if posible)
Sage
Savory
Thyme
Black Pepper
1 1/2 cups Bell Peppers, diced
1 cup corn
2 cups milk
Sharp Cheddar, shredded, for garnish
Green onions, chopped, for garnish

Chop potatoes, carrots, celery and onion (if using) and place in large stock pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium and simmer until vegetables are tender, 20 - 30 minutes. Drain, but reserve cooking liquid.

Place chicken stock in the stock pot. Add peppers and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low.

Using the blender, puree small batches of cooked potatoes, carrots, celery, onion with some of the cooking liquid. Place each completed batch in the chicken stock.

Season with sage, savory, thyme and black pepper. Start with 1 tsp each of sage and thyme and 1/2 tsp of savory and black pepper, adding more to taste. [Do NOT salt, since potatoes absorb salt, and the soup will lose its saltiness, but make you very thirsty later.]

When seasoned to taste and hot, but not boiling, add 2 cups of milk and bring temp up again, careful not to boil. Remove from heat and serve immediately with shredded cheese and green onion for garnish.

Provide salt and pepper at the table.

Old Fashioned Sauerkraut

This recipe comes from Sally Fallon's book Nourishing Traditions.

The sauerkraut is meant to be served cold and uncooked to aid digestion of other foods, especially cooked foods, eaten at the same meal. My 20-month old son loves this sauerkraut and eats it by the handful.

The recipe says to pound the cabbage for about 10 minutes until the juices start to emerge. After a messy first go (and a very sore arm), I hoped to discover an easier way to make this scrumptious condiment. The next time, I let my Kitchen Aid mixer do the pounding. It turned out very nicely.

Sauerkraut

1 medium head Cabbage, chopped
1/4 cup Whey (see post, "Making" Whey)
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Caraway Seeds

Chop the cabbage according to your preference. (I chop it finely so it's easier for our young muncher.) Place the cabbage in a Kitchen Aid mixer. Attach the beater and turn on to low speed.

Place the whey, sea salt and caraway seeds in a 1-quart Mason jar. Shake vigorously until sea salt is dissolved.

When the juices from the cabbage begin to emerge, add the seasoning/fermenting mixture. Continue to beat for several minutes to combine.

Place all contents in the 1-qt Mason jar, pressing down firmly until all the cabbage is added. Be sure to leave one inch of space between the cabbage and the top of the jar. This is needed as the fermentation works because of the pressure it builds. Place the lid on the jar and tighten snugly.

Place on your counter for three days. Then move to cold storage.

You can eat your sauerkraut right away, but the longer it sits, the more flavorful it becomes. I recommend at least 4 weeks, but 6 weeks is optimal.

When you do finally open your first jar, it will bubble and fizz like a soft drink. Not to worry!

From what I've read, you will know immediately if something went wrong. The odor will not allow anyone to eat the contents. But if it simply smells fermented, enjoy!

"Making" Whey

In order to create lacto-fermented vegetables, you need whey in the liquid form, not the granules. I have no idea where you could buy whey. But I have an easy way to "extract" it.

Ingredients:
32 oz carton of organic, plain, whole milk yogurt

Tools:
2 large paper towels
colander
large bowl

Place the colander in the large bowl. Line the colander with a single paper towel. Pour the whole carton of yogurt into the colander. (Make sure the yogurt stays inside the paper towel.) Cover the yogurt with the second paper towel to keep it from drying out. Place everything into the refrigerator for 24 hours.

The whey will drip out of the yogurt. Check the bowl every few hours and empty the whey into a jar. This will keep the yogurt from sitting in the whey as it collects. After 24 hours, you can empty the strained yogurt into another paper-towel lined colander to keep extracting or you can put it back in its original container, depending on your preference for thick yogurt and your need for more whey.

You can use the yogurt as sour cream or just eat it plain. It's delicious!

The whey is now ready for use as a means of fermentation.

No Longer Gluten-Free

Well, it seems that Ben doesn't have a problem with gluten - just wheat - for now, anyway! So I've been experimenting with rye, and he's been okay. Both sourdough bread and bagels have turned out rather tasty, according to my dear husband. I made both with a rye sourdough starter and used gluten-free, all-purpose flour to minimize the impact of allergens on Ben's system.

I've also been playing with lacto-fermentation... and we've had some yummy sauerkraut and pickles! A couple other attempts at fermenting fruits and vegetables turned out okay, but I'm not sure how many other people would find them appetizing.

One thing that I've been finding to help with Ben's asthma is raw honey. He has it on his organic, greek-style yogurt every day, and it does seem to be participating with other remedies in keeping his airways open. I'm so grateful for God's grace in leading me to natural remedies. The drugs have such side affects that we'd like to minimize their use wherever possible.

So when I have a few more minutes, I'll post some recipes.... kefir, whey, fluffy oatmeal pancakes, sourdough bread, sourdough bagels, pickles and sauerkraut...

Pizza Crust

This recipe is neither Gluten Free nor Migraine Friendly. But most of us have occasion to cook for those without our limitations. I hope you find this as easy as I do!

2 cups warm water
2 Tbls yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
5-6 cups white flour
1 Tbls salt
1 Tbls cider vinegar
2 Tbls olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Dissolve yeast & sugar in warm water. Let bubble.
In mixer, combine 5 cups flour with salt, vinegar and olive oil. Add yeast mixture. Add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until a soft dough forms. It won't completely pull away from the bowl. This is okay. Allow to knead in mixer for 5 minutes. Remove from bowl and knead briefly on counter to create a ball. Cut into 3 equal pieces. Allow to rise briefly (5 - 10 minutes). Spread on pizza pan (greased, if not a baking stone) and bake each crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Spread each crust with sauce and toppings. Cover with cheese. Return to oven until cheese melts.

Tomato Soup

28 oz can organic crushed tomatoes
4 cups homemade chicken stock
1 Tbls sea salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
dash freshly ground pepper

Mix all together in a stock pot over medium heat until hot. Taste. Adjust seasonings. Serve.

If you want a creamy soup, add milk (up to 2 cups) being careful not to boil.

Carrot-Ginger Soup

Carrot-Ginger Soup

2 lbs fresh carrots
6 stalks celery
2 sweet potato/yam, peeled
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 cups chicken stock

* Clean carrots, celery and sweet potato/yam. Chop all into 1-2 inch pieces. Place in 8-quart stock pot and cover with water. Place on stove and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Check periodically to make sure there is sufficient water in the pot.

* Add chicken stock and cook until soup is hot. Reduce heat to low. Add spices, salt and pepper.

* Remove from heat.

* Puree one to two cups at a time in blender. Soup should be thick and smooth.

* Serve with a dollop of cream, plain yogurt or half-n-half.

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup

1 1lb bag of dried black beans
4 bay leaves
2 large carrots, peeled
3 celery stalks or 2 stalks with leaves plus hearts with leaves
1 red pepper

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 lb frozen corn

Optional:
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Follow directions on back of bean bag for soaking and cooking beans.
While beans soak, chop carrots, celery and red pepper into 2" chunks.
Cook beans with the bay leaves, carrots, celery and red pepper.
Cool to room temp. Puree in in small batches until smooth.
Return to pan, add seasonings and corn. Heat through.
Taste.
Adjust seasonings (more salt, pepper, etc).
If lemon juice is desired, add 1 Tbsp. Taste again, then add more.

To serve: ladle soup into bowls. Top with chopped cilantro. (for those who can indulge, add 1 tbsp sour cream or yogurt then cilantro.)

Turkey/Rice Souffle

4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 of the Baked Rice with Turkey & Vegetables

* Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
* Butter a 9x13 glass baking pan.
* Beat the eggs & milk together.
* Add the shredded cheese and mustard. Mix well, then add the Baked Rice.
* Turn into the baking dish.
* Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, until the center is set.

Baked Rice with Turkey & Vegetables

4 cups uncooked brown rice
3 cups chopped, cooked turkey
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
2 large carrots, shredded
2 stalks finely chopped celery
12 oz frozen chopped spinach
2 Tbls sea salt
2 Tbls Italian Seasonings
4 cups turkey stock
4 cups water

Combine all in large baking dish (at least 9x13). Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 2 hours, until all liquid is absorbed.

Baked Oatmeal

6 cups Rolled or Steel Cut Oats
2 cups Yogurt or Kefir
1 cup Raisins, optional
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
4 large Eggs
1/3 cup Honey
1/3 cup Coconut Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Soda


Combine rolled oats and raisins with yogurt in a glass mixing bowl. Cover. Let stand on the counter for 24 hours.

After soaking oats for 24 hours, grease a 9x13 baking dish. Preheat oven to 350F.

In mixer, beat eggs, honey, coconut oil, vanilla and cinnamon on high for 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and slowly add soaked oats and raisins. Add salt. Increase speed and beat on high for 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, add baking soda.

Pour into prepared dish. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cut into 24 bars.

Serve warm or cold, toasted (in toaster oven), or in a bowl with milk.

Turkey Soup

This post is for Tiffany...

Our small group had a big dinner last Tuesday night, and the girl who made the turkey offered the "remains" to me.

So that evening, I dumped everything into my 8-qt stock pot - bones, skin and all the other scary stuff left over after carefully picking the carcass. Then I covered it all with hot water, put on the lid and brought it to a boil. Ben wanted me to turn it off overnight, so after simmering on medium heat for about two hours, I turned it off and went to bed.

Next morning, the pot was still hot. I added more hot water, 2 Tbls salt plus 5 bay leaves and a Tbl of dried parsley then brought it back to a boil. It simmered on medium heat for 8 more hours. I added water periodically, bringing it back to a full boil then returning it to a simmer throughout the day. I had to run an errand, so around 2 p.m., I added more water, brought it to a rolling boil then turned it down to low and headed out the door. When I came home at 5 p.m., I turned it back up to full boil for a short bit while I started cutting vegetables. Next I strained the stock and returned all but 2 quarts of the liquid to the stove. (I froze those 2 quarts in quart-sized freezer bags.)

I added chopped carrots (1 1/2 cups), celery (3 stalks) and a red pepper along with 1 1/2 cups of chopped broccoli stems (which I find quite flavorful!). After they simmered on medium for a bit and softened, I added a bag of mixed vegetables and a chopped sweet potato. I also added a small bit (maybe 2/3 cup) of leftover cooked brown rice. After seasoning a bit more with salt, I added 3 cups of chopped/shredded turkey meat. Then I served it piping hot. Store-bought rolls & butter accompanied - regular yeast rollls for the gluten-tolerant and gluten-free for my Ben.

(If I could have let it cook all night, I would have turned it down to low overnight and let it cook one more day. But since I'd had to turn it off, I thought it best to serve the soup that day.)