Bacon and Egg Cups

I love easy meals and they’re even better when they are healthy too.  This is one of my favorite quickly thrown together meal that everyone loves.  Our hens are finally earning their keep and putting out more eggs than my family can consume so I’m always looking for creative ways to use up my eggs and save on my grocery bill.  It’s a good thing we know that eggs are actually good for you and we don’t need to be scared to eat them.  Eggs from chickens raised on pastured are high in choline, vitamin A and D, omega 3’s, B vitamins and much more.  Pastured eggs have less cholesterol than their counterparts but please don’t be afraid of cholesterol.  Read more about the fallacy of the Lipid Hypothesis here:  Myths and Truths About Cholesterol.

Bacon and Egg Cups serves 6 (2 eggs cups per person)

• 12 pieces of bacon (nitrate free from pigs on pasture)
• 12 eggs from hens on pasture
• optional toppings: spinach, feta cheese or any other cheese.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Grease a muffin tin using bacon fat, butter or ghee.  Line each cup with a slice of bacon and crack one egg in to each cup.  If desired, add shredded cheese, spinach or fresh herbs. My favorite is spinach and feta cheese (bottom right corner).  Bake for about 15 mins or until eggs are set.  

Part of Fresh Bites Friday

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Obviously broccoli is not in season this time year so if you can’t get fresh, frozen will do. I was in the mood for Cream of Carrot Soup when I saw a pretty head of broccoli in the fridge that needed to be used soon.  I like broccoli, I like soup so why not Cream of Broccoli soup.  In this recipe, I use my fermented garlic paste which I add to the individual cups along with sour cream so you are getting some probiotic goodies with each cup.

According to nutritiondata.self.com, broccoli has no saturated fats and no cholesterol.  You can easily remedy that by adding sour cream because we all know many vitamins are best used by the body when they are accompanied with fat.  Mmm, fat.  Silly nutritiondata.self.com!  Someone should let them know saturated fat is good for them.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

• 1 medium head of broccoli, chopped up stalk and all.
• 1 quart chicken stock (fresh made from a pastured bird is best!)
• 1 tsp garlic paste or 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste
• sour cream to taste (or cultured cream using piima, kefir or yogurt cultures)

In a medium sized sauce pan, add stock and broccoli.  Bring to a boil, turn down and let simmer until broccoli is tender, about 10 mins.  Using an immersion blender, puree soup to a smooth consistency.  Add salt to taste.  In each bowl stir in a spoonful of sour cream and about 1/4 tsp of garlic paste.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy and my 11 yo says.

Part of Sunday Night Soup Night

Carrot Ginger Kvass

I’ve made beet kvass before and suffered through drinking it because it was good for me. This is coming from someone who normally likes beets.  I don’t know what got in to me to try making carrot kvass but maybe it’ll be friendlier to my taste buds.  Ginger of course just seems natural with carrots.  I made 3 different kinds in order to experiment. One with whey, one with no whey, and one with the carrot just scrubbed not peeled.  I actually forgot to peel it before I put it in the food processor, lol!  I figure it probably has extra good soil bacteria.
I gave it a try yesterday night and was pleasantly surprised. I actually liked it. I added a few drops of stevia to sweeten but even without the stevia it was palatable.  It’s not something I would drink for the sheer enjoyment of it but since it’s good for me, I can enjoy it.  I decided to try a second fermentation with added juice and now it’s very good.

Carrot Ginger Kvass (makes a little under 1 qt)

• 3 medium organic carrots, peeled and chopped finely
• 1″ piece of ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp whey (substitute 1 more tsp of sea salt if not using whey)
• Water to cover
• Stevia to taste (added after fermenting)

Place carrots in a quart sized mason jar.  Add salt, whey and water.  Cover tightly and shake to dissolve salt.  Loosen cover and let set at room temperature 3-5 days.  Strain out carrot solids, squeezing out the juice.  Refrigerate.  Save solids for baking or soups.  Reserve some liquid and use in place of whey to inoculate future batches.

Optional Second Ferment
I found doing an optional second ferment makes it much tastier and effervescent. Once you’ve strained the kvass, pour into flip top bottles or a mason jar, about 2/3 full.  Add juice to top it off.  Seal tightly and leave at room temp for another 8-12 hours.  Remove to cold storage.  I made one with apple and one with carrot juice.  Both are great.

Part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Friday and Real Food Forager’s Probiotic Food Challenge and Fat Tuesday, and Friday Food Flicks.

Lacto-Fermented Garlic Paste

I’m lazy.  As my good friend Tricia told me this morning, I’m a super mom in some areas and lazy in others.  As I chatted with her in my pj’s amidst a super mess house, I peeled 4 lbs of garlic and bragged about how my 20 mo is fully potty trained, day and night.  Yeah, I’m awesome.

Sometimes I work hard so I can be lazy.  Like garlic paste.  I love fresh garlic and before I devoted my life to eating only real food, I bought garlic paste in the jar.  While it’s not horrible, it’s still not as good as the fresh stuff but sometimes I just too lazy to peel the clove, chop it up and then clean up the mess.  Sometimes I just want to open a jar and that’s it.  I can be that kind of lazy.  So when I’m feeling not lazy, I’ll make garlic paste.

This is what 4 lbs of garlic looks like.  Today I was feeling extra spunky and made 2 1/2 quarts of garlic (1 of garlic paste and 1 1/2 of pickled whole cloves).  How did I peel 4 lbs of garlic without going insane?  A while back a video was going around Facebook of a chef showing how he throws a whole head, just separating the cloves, in a large metal bowl, topping the bowl with another and shaking the crap out of it.  It works!  Love it!  I used 2 plastic bowls which worked but I think metal would be better.  Since plastic bends, it was hard keeping the skins from flying all over my kitchen.

Of course you don’t have to make a whole quart of it.  I’ve made a pint and even just a cup before.  Just divide the recipe accordingly.

I’m lucky enough to be friends with a gardener who specializes in garlic.  When she posted on Facebook that she still had a bunch from the end of the season, I jumped on it.  I kept the soft neck for fresh recipes and all the hard neck was lacto-fermented since it doesn’t keep as long.  You can use lacto-fermented garlic as you would regular garlic.  I prefer to not heat it up too much because you kill off all those wonderful probiotic buggies.  Add a small scoop to a cup of broth that has cooled enough to consume for a super yummy and healthy treat.  

Garlic is also wonderful this time of year to fight colds and the flu.  Mix a bit of garlic with honey, cayenne to kick strep.  It works!

Lacto-Fermented Garlic Paste

• 1 pint worth of garlic (this might take upwards of 10 or so heads)
• 2 tbsp fresh whey
• 2 tsp sea salt

Place everything in a food processor and pulse until a smooth paste forms.  Scoop into a pint sized mason jar and using a spatula, clean the sides of the jar and press out any air pockets.  I’ll gently tap the jar on a padded surface to smooth it out and remove bubbles.  Let set at room temperature for 5-7 days and then move to cold storage.  I’ve heard garlic is best when aged a few months.  I wouldn’t know because we eat it too fast.  Maybe this time I’ll find out since I made so much.  

Brine Pickled Brussels Sprouts

I’ve been wanting to try this for a while.  Brussels sprouts are in the same family as cabbage so one would thing they would lend themselves well to fermenting.  

Brussels sprouts, peas and olives were the only foods I didn’t like as a child.  I’ve come to love olives, enjoy peas (not the frozen variety though), and Brussels sprouts were next on my list to conquer.  I’d been hesitant to try them again since the memory of the one time I had them as a child is burned into my mind as a very unpleasant experience.  But with my quirky palate, I always thought I should like Brussels sprouts.  Like olives, I think I just had a bad first experience.  I finally found a beautiful bunch that just called to me.  I tried frying 1 lb of them up using Jenny from the Nourished Kitchen’s recipe for Pan-Fried Brussels Sprouts with Piima Cream, and yes, they were wonderful.  Everything I thought they should  be.  

So of course next I wanted to try fermenting some.  Since this is my first time fermenting Brussels Sprouts, I’m keeping it simple.  I might play with flavors next time.

Brine Pickled Brussels Sprouts

• 1lb Brussels Sprouts, rinsed and halved
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 2 shallots, sliced thin
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
• 1/4 cup fresh whey (or an additional tbsp of salt)
• filtered water

Layer Brussels sprouts, shallots and red pepper flakes.  Sprinkle salt and whey over the top and fill with filtered water to cover.  Shake jar gently to dissolve salt.  Let set at room temp for about a week.  Place in cold storage.

Lactofermented Carrots with Indian Spices

I’m on an Indian kick.  Indian cuisine is just so flavorful, I couldn’t resist trying this spice mixture with carrots.  I’ve been waiting patiently for 5 days before cracking these open.  The rush of bubbles to the top tells me something has been at work over the last week and the smell is oh so yummy.  And the taste?  Even better than I expected!  I think this might be my favorite ferment yet.

Again I used baby carrots for this though I would love to try carrot spears or grated carrot with this spice combination.  Organic carrots can be hard to come by (except baby) in this area.  My order with Azure Standard was missing my organic carrots.  Boo!

Carrots with Indian Spices

• 1 lb baby carrots (or grown-up carrots cut into spears)
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1″ knob of ginger, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup fresh whey
• Filtered water

Layer carrots and spices in a mason jar or fermentation crock.  Top with sea salt, whey and filtered water to cover. Shake jar to distribute spices and dissolve salt.  Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for 5-7 days then place in cold storage.

Part of Fight Back Friday and Fresh Bites Friday and Real Food Forager’s Probiotic Challenge

Meatball Soup

This was an on-a-whim soup that turned out awesome!  Meatballs are inspired by Food Renegade’s meatball recipe, only these are grain free.  Use only about 1/3 of the meatballs for the soup and save the rest for later (they freeze well).

Meatballs

• 3 lbs grassfed beef
• 3 eggs from pastured hens, beaten
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, parsley)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper

Heat oven to 400F.  Mix all ingredients thoroughly, using your hands to really work it all together, in a large bowl.  Form into balls, about 2 tbsp per meatball.  Place on cookie sheets and bake for about 10 mins or until cooked through.

Meatball Soup

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, sliced thin
• 1 quart beef stock
• 2 cups pureed tomatoes (or crushed if you want more texture)
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• Sea salt to taste
• 2 cups kale, chopped and stems removed
• 1/3 recipe of meatballs (save the rest for spaghetti)

Heat butter in soup pot and saute garlic and onions until tender.  Add stock, tomatoes and seasoning.  Bring to a boil. Add meatballs and kale.  Heat through.

Indian Hot Lemons

Indian Cuisine is quite well known for it’s fermented foods. Chutneys, yogurts and all sorts of pickled vegetables abound. In this Hot Lemon Pickle recipe, I use traditional Indian spices with organic lemons and sea salt.  In my batch, I did use fresh whey to aid in the fermentation process but it is optional.  If you don’t use whey, throw in an extra tablespoon of sea salt.

Lemons and their juice can be used in recipes in place of regular lemons. You probably want to stick with Indian recipes with these ones or stuff a roasting chicken with them.  To maintain the benefit of the active cultures, add at the end and don’t heat more.  Try them in my Lemon Dhal recipe.  The peel on these lemons is actually the best part so slice it thin and garnish your lentils with it.  Enjoy!

Indian Hot Lemons

• 2 lbs of organic lemons
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on your tolerance of spice)
• 3″ knob of ginger, peeled and sliced
• 4 tsp fenugreek
• 4 tsp mustard seed
• salt
• 2 tbsp fresh whey

Quarter the lemons but don’t cut all the way through.  Leave lemon slices connected at the bottom.

Sprinkle a light layer sea salt in the bottom of mason jar.  Sprinkle salt inside each lemon, liberally.  Begin layering lemons, ginger and spices pounding with a wooden mallet, spoon or rolling pin.  One of these days I want to get a sauerkraut pounder.

  

You want to really mash them good, releasing the juice. Keep layering and pounding until the lemons are submerged in their own juice.  If you have trouble getting enough juice to cover them, you can add lemon juice. Top with 2 tbsp of fresh whey.

To keep them submerged, I placed the biggest lid I could fit inside the jar and then pushed it down with a smaller jar.

Let set at room temperature for 2 weeks then move to cold storage.

Lemon Dhal and Spiced Rice

This is my favorite dish.  And by favorite, I mean it been served weekly at our house for the past 10 or so years.  This was #1’s first food.  Not on purpose, he just grabbed a handful before I could stop him.  Poor baby.  It was very spicy.  Very.

My husband introduced me to Indian food when we were dating. My cousins were adopted from India but being from small town Minnesota, it never occurred to me that Indian was a whole category of food.  Awesome food.  The best food I had ever eaten.  It became my mission to learn how to cook Indian.  I even waited at an Indian restaurant through college.  It must have been a sight to go to an Indian Restaurant and have a blonde Norwegian waiting on you.

Dhal is Indian way to say lentils (and it just sounds cooler).  Lemon Lentils just doesn’t have the same ring as Lemon Dhal, also spelled dal, daal or dahl, take your pick.  Serve this with basmati rice as a side dish or the main course.

The spiced rice recipe I’m including does use white rice.  This is how my restaurant made their rice, though I don’t remember them soaking it.  After much soul searching and research, I’ve determined white rice is just fine.  I heard a foreign exchange student from Japan once say only in America do we eat rice with the bran still on it.  My husband actually gets sick from brown rice and tested allergic to it.  So white rice for us it is.  I don’t always soak my rice before preparing it since it is lower in phytic acid than brown rice and I’m lazy.  But many traditional recipe books do recommend soaking basmati rice for improved flavor.  And if you haven’t tried basmati rice, you should.  It has the most delightful nutty flavor.  Yum!

Lemon Dhal

• 2 cups lentils (red or green)
• 1″ piece of ginger, grated
• 6 cloves of garlic, separated
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
• 1/3 cup lemon juice (you can use fresh lemon juice)
• 1/2 cup ghee or coconut oil
• 6 dried chilies or 1 tsp crushed red chilies
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• cilantro to garnish

Soak lentils in separate bowls in filtered water for about 8 hours.  Start lentils and rice (if using) in the morning.

Drain lentils and place in a medium saucepan with 4 cups water.  Add ginger, 2 cloves of minced garlic, chili powder and turmeric.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 25-30 mins or until lentils are soft.  Add lemon juice and salt to taste.  If it’s too watery, let simmer until it thickens up.
Meanwhile, in a skillet melt ghee or coconut oil.  Once it’s sputtering hot (flick a drop of water on it to tell), add 4 whole garlic cloves, cumin seeds and dried chilies and saute about 5 minutes or until garlic is beginning to blister.  Remove from heat and let cool just a little.  Pour oil over lentils and stir to combine.  Serve on top of spiced rice, garnish with cilantro.  To make it GAPS legal, skip the rice and serve over cauliflower.

Spiced Rice

• 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
• 1 tsp cumin seed
• 2 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cardamom pods
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 3 cups chicken stock or water

Soak rice in filtered water with 2 tbsp vinegar, lemon juice or whey for about 8 hours (again, start in the morning).

Melt oil in a medium saucepan.  Add cumin and toast until they begin to sputter.  If you aren’t soaking your rice, add the rice to the oil as well to toast.  Add remaining spices and water, cover and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and continue to cook for about 10-15 or until water is absorbed.

Part of Traditional Tuesday.

Curtido

Did you know there is a Mexican/Central American sauerkraut?  Curtido is a mix of carrot, onion, cabbage and spices.  This is my favorite way to enjoy fermented cabbage.  Jenny from the Nourished Kitchen introduced me to curtido last year through her Simple Meal Plans.  Each week she includes a lacto-fermented recipe in addition to 3 delicious meals, a dessert and a soup all using seasonal foods.

Curtido

• 1 small head of cabbage, cored and shredded
• 3 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 small onion, shredded
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (or 1 jalapeno chopped)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup fresh whey
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt

In a large non-reactive bowl, combine everything.  Mash together using a wooden spoon or or this masher from Cultures For Health.  You can also use your hands to really squeeze the juices out.  Once the juice is released from the vegetables, begin layering and pounding the mixture into a fermenting crock or mason jar.

Use a plate or a gallon sized Ziploc bag filled partway with water to keep the vegetable mixture submerged in it’s juices.  Let sit at room temperature for 2-4 weeks.  Mold may grow on top but just scoop it off.  After the ferment period, place in cold storage.  It will last a year or so.

This is my sauerkraut set up, a cheap glass jar from a craft store.  Once it’s done fermenting, I’ll put the curtido in quart sized mason jars so I can start another batch.  Maybe fermented lemons next…

This recipe is part of Fight Back Friday and Real Food Wednesday.