Thursday, September 30, 2010
The Zen of Magnetic Drawing Boards
Nelle loves drawing - she spends hours with her chalk and crayons and pens and pencils and this. Her magnetic drawing board. I was watching her today with it ... creating the most beautiful picture a three year old has maybe ever drawn ... and then I lean over, and as I'm asking her to show me the fine points of the drawing, she erases it. Gone.
Which made me think about the concept of permanence and impermanence. How (according to buddhist philosophy) we're not meant to hold on to things, or ideas, or perceptions. How we should observe our own thoughts, and then let them go. Be in the present, the moment.
And that's exactly what Nelle does. She draws, she shows me what she's drawn, she erases and does it again. When do we learn to run madly for the camera, to take a photo before the picture's gone forever? When do we wish to freeze those moments in time?
There will always be beauty to observe, to create. Even if it passes by and doesn't stop. Or gets erased.
So here's to all we can learn from our little ones,
Amanda xx
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Jam for Rain
Rain makes me so nostalgic. It takes me back to mossy, other-worldly Vancouver forests. And the slap-slap of my running shoes against wet leaves. And the shhhhhh sound of rain spinning off my bike tires. (I did a lot of exercise when I lived in Vancouver ... ) And curling up, in front of the window, with a cup of tea - taking in the smell of green, of earth, of life.
I love rain.
It may seem a stretch to bring you jam today, because strawberries are inherently sunny fruits. More reminiscent of hot summer days than rain. But I do love strawberries. And jam. And scones.
And what goes better with a warm cuppa on a rainy day than hot scones and cream and strawberry jam?
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Jam for Rain
Makes about 1.4 kg of jam
10 min prep + 30-40 min stove-time + 10 min bottling
Ingredients
1 kg (2.2 lbs) hulled organic strawberries, washed and dried
1/4 c water
4 c raw sugar
juice of 1- 2 lemons (if you use riper strawberries, you'll need more lemon for it to set)
a small plate
4 medium-sized jars with lids
*As always, use organic ingredients when you can - especially for the strawberries, which are known to be quite high in pesticide residues.
1. Put a small plate into the freezer - you'll use this to test for set.
2. Wash some jars and lids in hot soapy water and then put them into an oven at 120C to dry. I use the vacuum seal ones that all my store-bought jams come in ... when you put the hot jam into the jar and put the lid on, the lid will vacuum seal as the jar cools. I've found my jams have lasted really well this way, but if you prefer you can use the traditional heat-sealing method. You'll need different jars and a different technique, but it is considered safer and the jam will keep for longer. Up to you.
3. Put the strawberries and water into a large stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the strawberries are soft. Put about 3/4 of your strawberry mix into a glass* blender and puree, then return to the pot. By not puree-ing all the strawberries, you'll get a lovely texture to your jam.
*I use glass because the mix will be quite hot, and I'm not really very trusting of hot food + plastic.
4. Add the sugar and lemon juice to the strawberry puree and return to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently for another 10-15 min. until the jam starts to thicken up. Keep stirring so it doesn't burn to the bottom.
5. To test and see if your jam will set, pull the plate out of the freezer and put a little spoonful of your jam onto it. If the jam gets thick and jammy and wrinkly - you're done! If not, keep simmering it for a bit longer till it does set. Sometimes your jam won't set - that's ok! Just use it as a sauce instead. Even better for ice cream.
6. All done? Pull your hot jars out of the oven, ladle jam into them, put the lids on and set aside! Make yourself some scones. And a cup of tea.
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How much did this cost me?
I've been getting my organic strawberries at the farmer's market - they're 2nds, so only $10/kg! But look at them ... hardly less than perfect. I probably used about $10 worth of strawberries for this batch of jam. The sugar cost me $1 and the lemons I bought for $0.35 each. So ~1.4 kg of strawberry jam cost me less than $12.
How good is that?
If you've got a favourite scone recipe, want to share it with us?
Happy rain,
Amanda xx
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Easy Peasy Palak Haloumi
Well, between the title and the photo you're probably either a) intrigued or b) disgusted. Hopefully you're the former, in which case you get to meet my new favourite recipe. Love it. And you can use any number of different leafy green things in it, which makes it ultra-nutritious, too.
I'm always looking for great recipes to use up greens ... mainly because I can't go to the farmer's market without walking away with armfuls of beautiful, dark spinach or silverbeet or sorrel or amaranth or sweet potato greens or water spinach ... I can't help it. The greens at the market just look so amazing compared to what you see at the supermarket. Vibrant. Perky. So as a result of my tendencies, I end up with bunches and bunches of greens to use up.
I love this recipe because I've always been a massive fan of Indian palak paneer (yummy), and because it entails putting a bunch of things in a blender and then in a baking dish (easy), and because it uses haloumi (extra yummy). Originally I used haloumi because I always have it on hand (as opposed to paneer), but I find it lends a saltiness and flavour and texture that I actually prefer to paneer. So that was a lovely surprise! Thank you, haloumi.
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Easy Peasy Palak Haloumi
Serves 6-8
Prep time ~10 min + 45 min baking/rice cooking/wine drinking time
Ingredients
The sauce
1 tsp ground cumin seed
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp salt
2/3 c passata or tomato puree
3 small cloves garlic, peeled
2.5 cm (1") piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 onion, roughly chopped
1/3 c lime juice
1 c ricotta - though you could probably use labneh or yogurt
5-6 c greens - use any of the dark leafy greens, or a combination of (the batch pictured is amaranth + silverbeet)
1/2 - 3/4 c water
The rest
2 x 180 g packs of haloumi (or equivalent), cut into 2.5cm (1") chunks
1 Tbs coconut oil
Brown or white rice, to serve
salt to taste
*Use organic ingredients when you can.
1. Put all the sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. I left the water flexible because depending on the tomatoes and ricotta and greens you may need to add a little more water. It should be the consistency of a nice, thick milkshake.
2. Saute the haloumi in the coconut oil until nice and brown. I didn't use extra virgin coconut oil this time, as I didn't want the strong coconut flavour in this dish.
3. Put the sauce and the haloumi into a baking dish and bake at 160C (350F) for around 45 min - perfect timing for you to make rice.
4. Take your palak haloumi out of the oven and serve with rice. Add salt to taste.
5. Feel pretty good about yourself.
I adapted this from a baked paneer recipe in Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant
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. |
| This, my friends, is amaranth |
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How much did this cost me?
My batch was completely organic, and cost me around $22 to make. I know, that sounds like a lot, but it's only $3-$4 per serving (rice included). Most of the cost was the organic haloumi, at $6 each pack. But, it's still cheaper than takeaway! And has cleared out my drawer of those pesky greens. For now.
Amanda xx
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
PB&C + Q Cookies
Cookies. I'm so into them lately. Handfuls while working on my computer. Getting a cup of tea - oops, how did that get into my hand? Uh oh, sugar crash ... need another one, I guess ...
You see my problem, if it could truly be called that.
And I'm wondering, what does it say about me as a person that I'm choosing cookies over all other sweets at the moment? Wouldn't it be great if there was a book where you could analyse yourself by your food choices? Like dreams. Look into my inner self. Cookies ... less commitment than cake, faster than brownies, easier than pie ... I'd say efficiency would define it. Cookies have a really high efficiency quotient.
(I won't bore you with the equation, but parameters include: time spent making, deliciousness, quickness of eating, transporability, kid-friendliness). I am a scientist, after all - have to include an equation now and then!
And, well, efficiency pretty much defines me most of the time ... but did I really need cookies to tell me that? Maybe scrap that book idea after all ...
By the way, I should tell you what the PB&C + Q stands for! These cookies are the result of me tinkering about with quinoa flour (Q). I bought it because quinoa is a high protein, good-for-you grain, and I really like the idea of using some of these unusual flours in my baking. I read up on quinoa flour when I bought it, and found that most people reckon it has a strong, somewhat nutty/sesame taste. So, I thought, what better way to use that flavour than in peanut butter (PB) and chocolate (C) cookies?
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PB&C + Q Cookies
Ingredients
Makes about 3 dozen (depending on how big you make them)
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c raw sugar
1/2 c unrefined brown sugar
1 organic (or free-range) egg
3/4 c quinoa flour
1/2 c unbleached plain flour
1/4 c raw cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
*As always, use organic ingredients when you can. If you don't have quinoa flour, but have quinoa and a coffee grinder or blender - you can make your own flour! Just grind it up. If you don't have sour cream, you can try this out with butter instead. I didn't - I had some sour cream to use up - but I'm sure it'll come out just as lovely with good old butter.
1. Mix together the sour cream, peanut butter, sugars and egg in one large bowl. In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. I sifted them, because my cocoa powder and baking soda tend to clump up (and you don't want a big clump of either in your cookie!).
2. Then add the dry to the wet, and stir gently to combine. Cover the bowl and chill for 30 min or so. The dough is fairly moist for a cookie dough, especially as it warms up (the fats tend to go gooey). So fridging helps you make little balls out of the dough. While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 180C (360F).
3. Then grease or line a cookie sheet (or two) and pull your dough out of the fridge. Roll little tablespoon-sized balls in the palm of your hand and set them in rows on the sheet, at least a few cms apart. When the tray is full, use a fork to press down gently on the top of each ball to flatten it slightly. Pop the tray into the oven and bake for about 10-15 min until the cookies are solid-ish (but not yet hard) to the touch.
4. Remove the tray from the oven and let it sit for about 5 min. As the cookies cool down they become slightly more transferable. So after 5 min or so, gently use a spatula to move the cookies onto a wire rack. They freeze really well, so feel free to put some cooled cookies straight in the freezer for a rainy day.
And saying that, I have just this moment remembered that I have some in the freezer! Oh, glorious day!
Recipe dramatically adapted from the basic peanut butter cookie recipe in my 1969 edition Betty Crocker Cookbook
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How much did this cost me?
I used all organic ingredients in my cookies. I had to use up the sour cream, which was left over from dinner - so we'll call that free. I get 800g of organic peanut butter for $10, so that would've cost me less than $1. The sugars together probably cost me $0.70 (the brown sugar being more expensive ... ). The egg was $0.50. The flours were about $1.30 and the cocoa was $0.30. So, I estimate this large batch of cookies cost me less than $4 to make!
And seriously, put some straight into the freezer ... it may a) save tummyaches and b) you'll love rediscovering them another day!
Enjoy your baking,
Amanda xx
Friday, September 17, 2010
5 Simple Ingredients for Homemade Beauty Products
I love it when I know exactly what's going into and onto my body. When I can name every ingredient in something, without resorting to phonetically sounding it out. When the stuff that goes on my lips (or in my mouth) is actually edible. When the oil that soaks into my skin comes from olives, rather than petroleum. When my cleanser smells nice because part of it was once real flowers.
So now I make alot of my own beauty products. And actually, it's sooo easy and really fast, too. Faster than running down to the pharmacy for another tube of whatever. Make a list, go get these things, and try some recipes out!
Here are 5 fantastic and cheap ingredients to get you started:
Organic coconut oil (mine was 500mL for $8)
Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties (and which babies get a good dose of in mum's milk). It's a good saturated fat, but got a bad reputation from the hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated varieties found in processed foods. So stick to the extra virgin or minimally refined versions.
*cook with it - it doesn't break down at high temperatures, it lasts ages, and it's creamy at cool temperatures
*use it for creams like deodorant or chest rub
*use it for cleansers and make up removers
*use it as a conditioner for hair or a moisturiser for skin
Um, just looking at all these cross links and you can see how much I love coconut oil! I actually have two varieties - the extra virgin (which is less processed and much more coconutty smelling) and the refined (which is more subtle, when you don't want a strong scent).
Organic extra virgin olive oil (mine was 500mL for $7)
Olive oil is rich in vitamin E and is known as a heart-healthy fat.
*cook with it
*use it in cleansers and make up removers
*use as a natural furniture polish
*use as a moisturiser for skin or lips or hair
NOTE: store out of direct light if possible
I love when I rub olive oil into something I'm cooking - my hands get soooo soft!! We also used olive oil to get rid of Nelle's cradle cap when she was a baby - just rub some onto the scalp and then use a comb to remove the flaky bits. (Sorry that sounded so disgusting!)
Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties (and which babies get a good dose of in mum's milk). It's a good saturated fat, but got a bad reputation from the hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated varieties found in processed foods. So stick to the extra virgin or minimally refined versions.
*cook with it - it doesn't break down at high temperatures, it lasts ages, and it's creamy at cool temperatures
*use it for creams like deodorant or chest rub
*use it for cleansers and make up removers
*use it as a conditioner for hair or a moisturiser for skin
Um, just looking at all these cross links and you can see how much I love coconut oil! I actually have two varieties - the extra virgin (which is less processed and much more coconutty smelling) and the refined (which is more subtle, when you don't want a strong scent).
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Organic extra virgin olive oil (mine was 500mL for $7)
Olive oil is rich in vitamin E and is known as a heart-healthy fat.
*cook with it
*use it in cleansers and make up removers
*use as a natural furniture polish
*use as a moisturiser for skin or lips or hair
NOTE: store out of direct light if possible
I love when I rub olive oil into something I'm cooking - my hands get soooo soft!! We also used olive oil to get rid of Nelle's cradle cap when she was a baby - just rub some onto the scalp and then use a comb to remove the flaky bits. (Sorry that sounded so disgusting!)
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Organic lavender essential oil (mine was 10mL for $10, but you only use a few drops at a time!)
Lavender can provide relief from insomnia, headaches, and also has antihistimine properties.
*put a few drops in your bath for extra relaxation
*add a few drops to your laundry rinse cycle to make your clothes or linens smell amazing
*add a few drops to homemade moisturisers or cleansers
*add a few drops to 10mL apricot kernel oil for a relaxing massage oil
NOTE: store essential oils out of the reach of children and out of direct light if possible
I love the smell of lavender. Though it was one of those smells that repulsed me during pregnancy (along with coffee! what a nightmare that was!) so it took me awhile to get back into it ...
Lavender can provide relief from insomnia, headaches, and also has antihistimine properties.
*put a few drops in your bath for extra relaxation
*add a few drops to your laundry rinse cycle to make your clothes or linens smell amazing
*add a few drops to homemade moisturisers or cleansers
*add a few drops to 10mL apricot kernel oil for a relaxing massage oil
NOTE: store essential oils out of the reach of children and out of direct light if possible
I love the smell of lavender. Though it was one of those smells that repulsed me during pregnancy (along with coffee! what a nightmare that was!) so it took me awhile to get back into it ...
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Good raw honey (mine was 500mL for $7)
Raw honey hasn't been heated to high temperatures, so it retains all its natural goodness. Honey has antiseptic and antifungal properties, and is soothing on the throat. A truly natural sugar.
*cook with it (or just use it raw!)
*use for mild cuts or burns or fungal infections
*makes a good face mask
*helps soothe sore or dry throats - try 1 Tbs lemon juice + 1 Tbs honey + 1 cup hot water
NOTE: don't give honey to babies less than 12 months old, or as your doctor recommends
One for the cake, one for me ... one for the cake, one for me ...
Raw honey hasn't been heated to high temperatures, so it retains all its natural goodness. Honey has antiseptic and antifungal properties, and is soothing on the throat. A truly natural sugar.
*cook with it (or just use it raw!)
*use for mild cuts or burns or fungal infections
*makes a good face mask
*helps soothe sore or dry throats - try 1 Tbs lemon juice + 1 Tbs honey + 1 cup hot water
NOTE: don't give honey to babies less than 12 months old, or as your doctor recommends
One for the cake, one for me ... one for the cake, one for me ...
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Tea tree oil (mine was 20mL for $7, but like any essential oil it'll last you ages)
Another great antiseptic and antifungal essential oil. This one comes from an Australian native tree, and has quite a potent smell. So use in moderation!
*add a few drops to your hot wash cycle as an extra disinfectant for towels and linens
*helps the skin recover from shaving or you can apply a drop or two directly to mild cuts or abrasions
*use in conjunction with white vinegar to clean the house - try 1 c vinegar + few drops oil + a bucket of hot water to mop tiled floors or without the water to clean the toilet
*is a natural insect repellant
NOTE: store essential oils out of the reach of children and out of direct light if possible
You know that pine-y smell that those (toxic) cleaners have? Tea tree is the new pine, baby.
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I hope this has given you just a little inspiration to try making some homemade beauty products! How about a spa day for you and some friends? Where you make your own creams and cleansers together. Have champagne and nibblies. And laugh, a lot.
Treat yourself this weekend!
Amanda xx
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Somewhat Healthy Birthday Cake
Once upon a time ... in a seaside land known as the Sunshine Coast, there was a little fairy princess called Nelle ... and it was her birthday ... and she got a special cake.
Her mummy wanted to make a yummy but somewhat-healthy cake that would not turn the princess into a sugar-crazed monster. And ended up searching the internet at the last minute for a cake recipe that didn't use eggs ... because there were none at all in the fridge. I mean, the castle.
Anyway, this is what I found. A chocolate cake that used cocoa powder instead of chocolate (thrifty!), didn't use eggs, and seemed highly adaptable. Perfect!
Raw cocoa powder, extra virgin olive oil, beetroot, raw honey and strawberries were some of the little ways I enhanced this cake. And look how it turned out! Happy Birthday to my darling princess.
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Somewhat Healthy Birthday Cake
Serves 10-12
Takes about 20 min to prepare and 1 hr to bake. Much less time required to eat it.
Cake batter loosely adapted from an online recipe
Ingredients
The cake
2 2/3 c self-raising unbleached flour*
1/3 c raw cocoa powder
1 c raw honey
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1 2/3 c buttermilk or slightly sour milk or regular milk + 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 med beetroot, peeled and shredded
The naturally-pink icing
a couple slices of raw beetroot
300mL creme fraiche
3/4 c caster sugar - try to get the golden variety (less processed)
For the top
a handful of sliced organic strawberries
2-3 squares of dark or milk chocolate, grated
*You can do this with plain unbleached flour, too - just add 1 1/2 tsp bicarb soda + 1/4 tsp salt.
**As always, try to use organic ingredients when you can. Particularly the strawberries, which are a crop known for high chemical use.
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NOTE: I've just read back through this and boy, was I wordy. Please don't be put off by the length of the instructions ... it's just me gabbing on. Really this cake was super easy!
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (360 F). Line or grease a 25cm (10") round cake tin and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients. Now, normally I'm too lazy for sifting, but I find that my cocoa powder clumps up sometimes, so it's easy just to get out a sieve and shake the 2 dry ingredients through it.
3. In a separate glass bowl or jug, mix together the remaining cake ingredients. I recommend glass because if the honey is too cool it might not mix very easily. So, you can put the glass dish with all its ingredients into the microwave for a few seconds to help you out.
4. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and stir thoroughly. But try not to overmix! Then pour the batter into your prepared cake tin, put it in the oven, and bake for about 1 hr - until the top is firm and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
5. While the cake's in the oven, start on the icing. I used creme fraiche because I happened to have some on-hand. But honestly, I hardly ever do! So, you might use sour cream instead. Or maybe even marscapone? Whichever it is, pour it into a bowl and mix in the caster sugar. Then add your slices of beetroot - this'll make your icing pink (without the use of artificial stuff). Keep the icing in the fridge, and now and then take it out and stir the beetroot around in the creme fraiche, to distribute the colour.
6. When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and set the whole tin on a rack for about 5-10 minutes. Then carefully remove the cake from the tin and cool it completely on the rack. When it's completely cool, carefully use a serrated knife to cut the cake in half.
7. Put the bottom half of the cake onto a platter or plate. Remove the beetroot slices from the icing and stir it around a bit. Then spread a thin layer of icing over the bottom half of the cake ... gently, gently. Then put the top half of the cake on and press down lightly (so the icing squishes out a little bit). Now you can dollop, spread, smooth the icing over the top of the cake. If you have perfectionist tendencies, feel free to make the top absolutely smooth and even. I didn't. I'm more of a practicalist. With word-inventing tendencies.
8. Decorate with sliced strawberries (these really make the cake taste amazing!) and shaved or grated chocolate (I recommend Green & Blacks) and store your cake in the fridge until it's time for candles and wishes and Happy Birthdays ...
And so the little fairy princess and her mum and dad lived happily ever after ...
Amanda xx
Friday, September 10, 2010
Lemony Breakfast Rice
It's Friday night, and I'm thinking of breakfast. What will I have for my two special weekend mornings? Will it be sweet? Or savoury? A standard? Or something new? Or, maybe we'll head out to eat ... at any rate, it's going to involve coffee. Maybe even two coffees ...
Well, this is a great change of pace for breakfast. I mean, you can only have so much homemade granola or scones or waffles or chocolate bread ... ok, maybe not. But this rice is really yummy, and a great way to use up some of that extra rice you made the other day. (I have two containers of it in my fridge right now!)
Plus, I like to mix up my grains a bit. I try not to have the same thing for the same meal everyday - I figure variety is good for the body. Different nutrients doing different things. All good.
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Lemony Breakfast Rice
serves 4-6
about 20 min to prepare
Ingredients
1 1/2 c white rice (I used basmati but you could use brown as well, just adjust the milk volume)
3 c organic milk
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
1 Tbs raw honey
1 Tbs unrefined brown sugar
a handful of berries (as you can see from the photo, frozen is ok too)
*Use organic ingredients when you can
1. Cook the rice in the milk, just like you would normally do with water. Just keep an eye on it when it does the initial boil, and make sure you put the heat right down after that. Add the lemon zest with the rice and the milk, at the beginning of cooking.
2. When the rice is done, stir through the salt, honey and sugar - serve into bowls and top with berries. Maybe even a dash of cream, if you've got some?
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How much did this cost me?
Well, my organic rice was $1 (or nothing, if you have some to use up) and the milk was $2. The rest wasn't much at all ... so we're talking less than $3.50 for everybody to have a lemony, fresh, organic breakfast.
Hope you enjoy your weekend, whatever you eat!
Amanda xx
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Father's Day
Sunday was Father's Day here in Australia. it rained. a warm, spring rain. and my father in law passed away. I told my baby girl that Grandpa lives in our hearts now. I feel sad. and tired. and now and again, strong. and ... I wonder ... what else is there for me to feel? what else will come?
rain is good.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Green Tea Tree After Shaving Oil
This time of year is both Father's Day in Australia and my dad's birthday ... so Happy Both, Dad! It's so hard being so far away from your parents, especially around special occasions like birthdays. Although now I kind of have an excuse for late cards and presents, right? Right? Dad?
But to mark the day I wanted to post a recipe for my dad ... even though it's not very sendable, I was thinking of you!
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Green Tea Tree After Shaving Oil
Makes 1 small bottle, which should last a couple of weeks
Ingredients
1 Tbs apricot kernel oil or almond oil
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
6 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops tea tree oil
2 vitamin E capsules
1/4 tsp macha green tea powder
1. Pour all the ingredients into a small glass bottle. For the vitamin E tablets, use a pin to poke a hole in each one and squeeze the contents into the bottle. Shake. You're done!
* Always store essential oils out of the reach of little ones.
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What are all these ingredients good for??
Well, shaving is not so great for skin - I mean, you're dragging a sharp object across it, right? So we want something that will a) encourage healing and b) resist infection (or shaving rashes). This little potion seems to do the trick. My R. swears by it. This recipe was inspired by one of my fave books - Bodyworks.
Almond oil is protein-rich, and apricot kernel oil has lots of vitamin A. Both are good for the skin and are great for moisturisers or massage oils. Use whichever you have on-hand.
Lavender is great for healing the skin - it reduces inflammation. So good for damaged skin.
Tea tree is an antiseptic - helps keep just-shaved areas from getting infected.
Green tea has lots of antioxidants (which makes it so good to drink, as well!), which help repair damaged cells.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant as well. If you're unsure of where to get them, mine are from the pharmacy and are sold as health supplements.
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How much did this cost me?
Each organic portion will last a couple of weeks and will cost you less than $1 to make. How cheap is that!? Oh dear, that looks bad! I mean, Dad - I'd spend more on you than $1, or even a virtual after shaving oil ... if only ...
Hugs to Dad,
Love you!
Amanda xx
Friday, September 3, 2010
Unloved Veggies Become Sesame Fried Rice
Dear unloved veggies,
I'm so sorry I've neglected you in my fridge drawer. There you sat, silverbeet stems, while your leaves became a tart. And beetroot stems, ditto. And cabbage - well, you've been hanging around for a long while, watching your companion leaves become sauerkraut. Alas, I have mistreated you.
So, I'll make it up to you all. You will not be thrown out, unused. You will become magnificent. You will become ...
Sesame Fried Rice.
Veggies, I would like to introduce you to ground toasted sesame seeds.
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Unloved Veggies Become Sesame Fried Rice
Serves 2-4
This will probably take 30-40 min including the chopping/rice-making time. Unless you use brown rice, in which case add on another 10-20 min.
Ingredients
The ground toasted sesame seeds
Fry 1/4 c sesame seeds (+ optional 2-3 Tbs pumpkin seeds) in a skillet over med heat (no oil) until nicely browned. Take them out of the skillet, add 1/2 tsp salt and grind them to a fine powder in a spice or coffee grinder. Set aside.
NOTE: I ground the sesame up because I find in my stirfries/fried rice that they always fall to the bottom and I lose half of them before they hit the plate. This way, the sesame flavour sticks to the whole dish. It's everywhere. In a good way.
The rest
1 Tbs coconut oil (use virgin if you want a hint of coconut taste, refined if you don't)
5 c mixed minced veggies - I use a mix of cabbage, carrot, celery, silverbeet or beetroot stems, bok choy, spring onions. This can be flexible, the idea is to use up the veggies that need using up. But remember that some flavours can dominate, so go lightly on those ones.
3 c cooked rice
2 Tbs tamari
2 Tbs ground toasted sesame seeds
+ sesame oil, tamari and ground toasted sesame seeds to taste, for each portion.
1. Heat up the coconut oil over med-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Add the veggies and saute until they are softened (but still crispy). Keep moving them around so they don't stick to the pan.
2. Then, add the cooked rice and stir to mix through. Add the tamari and mix. Then take the pan off the heat and mix through the ground sesame seed mix.
3. Serve into bowls and drizzle each serving with sesame oil, tamari and a sprinkle of the ground sesame seeds. Done!
HANDY TIPS:
Make extra rice - you can use it over the next few days for any number of things!
Make extra ground sesame seeds - it'll be so yum on salads or rice ... and I wonder how it would taste on vanilla ice cream?
Make extra fried rice - it's so good for lunches!
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How much did this cost me?
Ooh, not much! My organic white rice was about $3 and the veggies needed to be resuscitated ... so I elect not to count them ... The rest would've been less than $1, so this use-it-up fried rice would come to about $1-$2 per portion. Not bad, for all-organic ... and it kept some good veggies from the bin.Have a lovely weekend!
Amanda xx
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