Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Tofu and Peanut Sauce with Quinoa and Vegetables


This peanut sauce is great with many different dishes and pretty much any veggies you can think of! I really want to try it on a thai inspired pizza!

1 can coconut milk
8oz organic chunky peanut butter
2c water
1tbs better than boullion no chicken base
3 cloves garlic minced
2 green onions finely chopped
1/2c green bell pepper, diced
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp kelp granules
1tsp dried basil
1tbs organic tamari
1/2tbs light oil
1/2tbs sesame oil
sriracha and black pepper to taste

5oz fresh spinach
1 can baby corn
12 oz baked or pan fried organic tofu

Quinoa
I use Trader Joe's Organic Tri Color and prepare it in a rice cooker.
1c quinoa to 1 1/2c water

Saute garlic and green pepper in 1/2tbs light oil until garlic is light golden. Add in green onion, water, boullion and all seasonings, except sesame oil.
Once that is well incorporated, whisk in coconut milk and peanut butter. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes and then add in fresh spinach. Simmer until spinach wilts and sauce reaches desired thickness. Add in sesame oil, tofu and baby corn. Remove from heat and serve over quinoa or rice.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Gardening and Yard Beautification

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We have been in our house now for going on 8 months and have been working on the yard quite a bit. Well, there was a couple of chilly months in there when nothing happened and weeds took the place over, but we have been back on it for the past couple of months. Spring is on the horizon and everything is coming together quite nicely. We want it to look and feel lovely, but first and foremost it must be functional. By functional, I mean it needs to be largely a food source. One of my goals is to produce 90% of our food. This yard is directly in line with number 11, 12 and 13 on my 40before 40 list.

So, here is what's been going on.

This is the orange tree that we planted in the front yard back in Aug/Sep. It has 3 developing oranges on it and some blossoms as well.



Also in the front is a lime tree. We planted this one about the same time as the orange. We had a couple little limes a few months back and it has started blossoming again.


We have 2 rose bushes that were there when we moved in. We just added the pebbles around them. I'm sure they will be beautiful in the middle of spring.



In the back, we have 2 groups of bamboo starting. These are the running type and we planted them mainly for privacy. There's one group in each corner of the yard and we will be filling in between in stages. We like our neighbors, but want a bit more seclusion in our backyard. Bamboo grows incredibly fast and these have really taken off. What an amazing plant!



Here's the other bamboo and the little sitting area we made out of bricks with sand poured in between. A little bistro table will go here.



These green leaf lettuces have also really taken off. I basically sprinkled them in, threw some compost and soil on top and watched them grow!



Unfortunately, I'm running into some issues with these tomatoes. The stem near the roots seems to be rotting. I'm not sure if the soil was up too high and/or we watered too much or if theres a fungus or something. We have stopped watering and uncovered it a bit to dry out to see if that helps. There's about 5 little tomatoes there and I hope that they can be saved.
On the back side is some basil and it seems to be doing well.



I'm so excited about these guys!
A green and red grape variety. That's the remainder of my wine rack that DH used to make our Bed Bar.





I have a variety of herbs growing inside and we just planted an avocado tree today that I didn't get pictures of.
Next up is to put together some containers for kale, carrots, more greens and other good stuff.

Here's a few "befores" and another "in progress".







In Progress
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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Home Brewed Kombucha

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I love kombucha!
Besides being tasty, it's a probiotic full of antioxidants. Drinking kombucha regularly can aid in digestion and body detoxification. I first tasted kombucha a few years ago at a raw vegan potluck. It was a homebrew and tasted overwhelming to me. I wasn't sure I would ever have it again. Awhile later, I ran across some GT's and gave it a try. I was more intrigued this time and began trying all different kinds and flavor combos.
I began to realize that kombucha can be mild or really overwhelming. It just depends on who is brewing it and what their preference is.

Now, my family and I are all hooked and we drink quite a bit of it at home. Buying and drinking bucha everyday can get really expensive, really quickly, so I decided to make my own.

It seemed a bit intimidating at first, but now after I've done a few of batches, it's not that involved at all. Before you began brewing bucha, you will need a SCOBY. A SCOBY is a Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast. It also goes by the name Mother or Mushroom. You can get one from someone else who brews at home or order one from the internet. You can also grow your own and that's what I did, using these instructions.




I'm wearing gloves because I had just washed and oiled up my hands before I decided to do this and I didn't want to wash the oil off my hands. You don't want to introduce any oils or other foreign particles to your SCOBY or brew.


After you secure a SCOBY, you can start your bucha brew. I read through a few recipes on both the single and double fermentation method. I've done both ways and both have turned out good. I like the extra fizziness double fermenting gives. Food Renegade has a great recipe.
It's fun to play around with different teas, juices, sugar amounts and brewing times!
Tip: Try different brewing times and taste along the way to see if it's where you want it.

My basic blend:
6 cups hot water
6 bags mango black tea
1/2c raw cane sugar
1 SCOBY plus about 1c of liquid stored with the SCOBY









I store in individual 16oz bottles to maintain fizziness.


My Double Fermented Juice Blend:
6 cups hot water
6 bags mango black tea
1/2c raw cane sugar
Knudsen Natural Razzleberry Juice
1 SCOBY plus about 1c of liquid stored with the SCOBY

After brewing the basic way, I add 3oz juice to my 16oz bottles and fill the bottle the rest of the way with bucha brew. I let sit out in dark place for another 2-3 days, before chilling in the fridge and enjoying!





Kombucha brewers, please let me know of any delicious combos you have come up with!
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