Happy New Year

Happy New Year, friends and family. Although I have not written much lately, things have been happening here in the Healing Kitchen- albeit slow and sporadic for the past few months. I have to admit, I have not been cooking nor eating as well as I could be- my diet has pretty much consisted of (gluten free) toast, and handfuls of dried fruit and nuts for much too long. But, with a new year comes new resolve, and I hope to be back in the kitchen whipping up gluten free goodies, and heavy on the raw vegan for the next few months.

I started a container garden right after Christmas, and it is going strong. I am happy and surprised to see how quickly things are growing. For veggies, I have planted kale, lettuce, beets, shallots, and onion. For herbs: Thai basil, cilantro, parsley, and dill.

Christmas gift- Chia herb garden!

Starting seeds

Another gift- a "grow box" I believe this is similar to an Earth Box.

This is upon assembly.

Seeds planted

Herbs growing

Seeds sprouting!

So far, I love the Grow Box. You fill the bottom with water, and it draws up water as needed. So I do not need to water every day. The smaller pots I do need to water every day.

I am now keeping the watering can in my bathroom. When I turn on the shower in the morning, I put the watering can under the bath faucet until the water heats up to shower temperature. That way all that cold water is not just going down the drain, and I have water for my balcony plants. So far, so good!

Homemade Vegetable Bouillon

My first batch of Homemade Bouillon

Vegetable broth is one of those ingredients that has stumped me for a while. I never realized how many recipes call for vegetable (or chicken) broth. I searched for about a year, but no matter which brand I looked at, there was always something in the ingredients that I was sensitive to.

But I also noticed something else. Even if I didn't have food sensitivities.... there are some products that I don't think I'd want to consume.

For example, take a look at the ingredients in a major brand of bouillon:

Ingredients: with Other Natural Flavors Ingredients: Salt, Sugar, Flavor (Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Salt), Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Contains 2% or less of Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking Agent), Fat Flavor (Partially Hydrogenated Corn Oil, Flavoring), Natural Flavor (Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Salt, Sugar, Whey Powder [from Milk], Lactic Acid), Spice, Onion Powder, Dehydrated Cooked Beef, Caramel Color, Dried Beef Stock, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate, Autolyzed Yeast, Flavoring. No MSG Added (Contains Naturally Occurring Glutamates).

Food allergies and sensitivities aside... yuck! That is not even food- those are laboratory ingredients designed to taste like food.

In contrast, here are the ingredients in a top organic brand:

Ingredients
Vegetables* and Concentrated Vegetables* (Carrots*, Celery*, Onion*, Tomato*), Salt, Soy Sauce* (Water, Soybean*, Salt, Alcohol*), Cane Sugar*, Maltodextrin*, Natural Flavor, Potato Starch*, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Dried Onion*, Dried Garlic*, and Spice*. *Certified Organic by QAI

At least it is real food : ) But- as those of you with gluten or other sensitivities know- these ingredients still present an allergy/health issue- "natural flavor" could be anything. The catch-all "natural flavor" is so frustrating. It could be derived from corn, or soy, or wheat-- you simply do not know.

Even if the "natural flavor" turned out to be safe for me, I avoid corn, soy, potato, and yeast, due to allergies and sensitivities. So, even the organic brand does not work for me.

Of course, there are other brands, but I've found that they all contain very similar ingredients. Same goes for broth that comes in a box or can. In recipes, I would just use water instead of broth, but there was definitely flavor lacking in the final product.

One day, I came across this recipe for DIY Bouillon on 101 Cookbooks. This recipe is so easy, much healthier than store-bought, is made entirely from whole food (organic, if you choose) ingredients, and you can customize ingredients to your own needs or preferences.

I made a batch a while back, and it lasted forever. I used it in everything- in every recipe that called for broth (finally!), as extra flavor when making soup, in the rice cooker when making rice or quinoa, basically anything that could use some seasoning. I just love it. It is now a staple in my kitchen.

This time, I made half a batch, and adjusted the ingredients based on seasonal availability, and the fact that I am now tolerating more foods (yay!) I am posting with the ingredients I used, but click on the link above for the full/original version on 101 Cookbooks.

Homemade Vegetable Bouillon (Gluten free, Yeast free, Nightshade free, Vegan)
Equipment needed: Food processor
Makes about 1 1/2 cups (one quart, and one pint mason jar)

Ingredients
2 1/2 ounces leeks, slice into rings and wash well
3 1/2 ounces fennel bulb, roughly chopped
4 ounces carrot, scrubbed and roughly chopped
1 stalk celery
1 3/4 ounces shallots
2 small-ish garlic cloves
4.5 ounces fine grain sea salt
3/4 ounce parsley
1 ounce cilantro

Method
Add vegetables to food processor, and pulse a few times to mix. Scrape down sides of food processor, if necessary. Add remaining ingredients, and process until well combined. You will wind up with a loose paste.

Spoon into jars, and keep in freezer until needed. Because of all the salt, it barely solidifies, so it is easy to scoop out when you need it.

As the original recipe suggests, I typically use about 1 tsp of this bouillon per 1 cup liquid; although sometimes I use a little more. It is totally up to you- feel free to adjust amounts (and ingredients) to your preference.

This recipe is linked to Made From Scratch Mondays on Living With Food Allergies and Celiac Disease. Be sure to check their page for more gluten free recipe ideas.

Ginseng Soda

Guess what? I know it's hard to believe (haha), but I have another cookbook that I'm VERY excited about : )

 

I want to figure out how to make my own energy drinks. Currently, I drink way too many of these...

Which is not terribly healthy, and not to mention, expensive. I would like to learn to make my own, to save money, and adjust the ingredients. Sure, eventually, I'd like to not drink any energy drinks, but I'm not quite there yet.

Needless to say, I was very excited when the Homemade Soda book arrived this week. If I could get one good recipe out of there, that book will more than pay for itself in money NOT spent on GURU energy drinks :) Even if I don't figure out how to make an energy drink, there are many other soda recipes in that book that look delicious, and some are even functional (healthy).

Trivia: Speaking of functional, did you know that flavored "soda" was originally created to mask the bad taste of medicines? That's why soda fountains were in pharmacies. There is a neat article about the history of soda fountains here: Fizzy Taste Bubbles Up From the Past (NPR)

Image source

Yesterday was my first attempt at making one of the recipes in the book. I opted for the "Ginseng Soda" recipe, since it was pretty straightforward and I had all of the ingredients on hand. I made some adaptations, but it was pretty close to the recipe in the book.

Ginseng is a fascinating herb, and it plays an important role in Asian culture and cooking. I encourage you to read more about it. One excellent book I found on this topic is this one, which I borrowed from my local library:

Below is some information about asian ginseng from the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

How Ginseng Is Used

The root of Asian ginseng contains active chemical components called ginsenosides (or panaxosides) that are thought to be responsible for the herb’s medicinal properties. The root is dried and used to make tablets or capsules, extracts, and teas, as well as creams or other preparations for external use.

What Ginseng Is Used For

Treatment claims for Asian ginseng are numerous and include the use of the herb to support overall health and boost the immune system. Traditional and modern uses of ginseng include:

• Improving the health of people recovering from illness
• Increasing a sense of well-being and stamina, and improving both mental and physical performance
• Treating erectile dysfunction, hepatitis C, and symptoms related to menopause
• Lowering blood glucose and controlling blood pressure

Click here to go to the full page for more information.

OK, now that you know about ginseng- on to the recipe!

Ginseng Soda Recipe

Ginseng Syrup

Ingredients
1 cup filtered water
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 Tbsp powdered ginseng (original recipe called for 4 ginseng tea bags)
1 Tbsp organic agave nectar
1 tsp unflavored rice vinegar

Method
Bring water to a boil, add sugar and stir until dissolved.

The original recipe says to then add the 4 tea bags, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes. I didn't have ginseng tea bags, so I let the sugar syrup cool a little, and then added 1Tbsp powdered ginseng. I'm not sure if that is equivalent, it was just a guess.

Add agave nectar and rice vinegar and stir. Let cool to room temperature. The book says this syrup will keep in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

To make the soda, mix 1/4 cup ginseng syrup with 1 1/4 cup seltzer water. Best served cold.

Honestly, I didn't particularly care for the taste- but that might have been because I used straight ginseng and not the tea bags (might have been too much ginseng). Also, I was impatient and didn't chill the syrup or the seltzer (I just used ice cubes) so my drink was not as cold as I would have liked. Colder would have been better.

It wasn't terrible, I did drink it. But it could have been better. I will try this recipe again, perhaps using tea bags, or finding the right equivalent for the powder. I'm looking forward to trying some of the other recipes in the book- there is a whole chapter on "Herbal Sodas and Healing Waters"!

Healthy Homemade Gourmet Mustard

Adapted from this recipe.

I think this mustard recipe is infinitely adaptable. The first time I made this recipe, I couldn’t find black mustard seeds, so I used only yellow mustard seeds. I also made a half batch, as I wasn't sure how it might turn out, or how long it would keep.

Yellow mustard seeds

Here is my first attempt:

Homemade Gourmet Mustard, v.1
Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. yellow mustard seeds
• 1/3 cup mix equal parts champagne vinegar & apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dark agave syrup
• 1/4 tsp. himalayan salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

Method

• Combine all ingredients and soak 12 hours or overnight to allow the mustard seeds to soften and absorb the flavors.
• Place mixture in blender and mix on high until the seeds have broken and the mustard thickens.

Result: The half recipe did not have enough volume to mix thoroughly in the VitaMix, so not all of the seeds burst, which resulted in a grainy -yet delicious- mustard. It lasted for about 6 weeks (until it was gone) without a problem in the refrigerator. I think it would have lasted indefinitely.

Not enough volume; mustard wanted to stay under the Vitamix blades

First batch with yellow mustard seeds

For my second attempt, I decided to make a full batch. Also, I finally found black mustard seeds in an Asian grocery, and wanted to try the spicy version.

Black mustard seeds

Here is the second version:

Homemade Gourmet Mustard, v.2
Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. yellow mustard seeds (mild flavor)
• 2 Tbsp. black mustard seeds (spicy flavor)
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp dark agave syrup
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Method

• Combine all ingredients and soak 12 hours or overnight to allow the mustard seeds to soften and absorb the flavors. 
• Place mixture in blender and mix on high until the seeds have broken and the mustard thickens.

Result: The spicy version is also delicious. I think I like the milder version better, but would make both again.

Whichever version you try, I would recommend making the full amount. When I made the half recipe, there was not enough volume to blend well in the VitaMix. The full recipe blended more thoroughly, resulting in a smoother mustard.

Second batch, using yellow and black mustard seeds

Try both versions, try adding your own flavors (honey, herbs, etc) and play around with the ratios. You are sure to find a version you love, and making it yourself is much healthier, and less expensive, than buying gourmet mustard in the grocery store.

More on the health benefits of mustard seeds.

Garden Update

Great news- the garden is looking better this week!

Check out the basil!

And we have something new- lemongrass:

And peppers: 

Our chives are happy. I trimmed back the dill- not sure whether it will come back? I thought I killed it last year, and it came back this year, so maybe the dill has more life in it. The parsley is still withering- but everything else looks good!

Garden update

Well, friends, I must say the garden is in sad shape. But we're learning what grows well in hot Florida summers, and what doesn't.

The dill went to seed soon after we put it in:

I used what was left of the dill to make a yummy raw tzatziki (cucumber-dill) sauce, so we still got a couple meals out of it. 

But this is what our poor sad little dill looks like today: 

The dill was no surprise. But now the parsley has also gone to seed: 

The parsley is very unhappy. The cilantro went to seed weeks ago, before we could even get it in the ground. Apparently herbs + heat = unhappy plants.

Our sweet basil is looking a little weak (no pic), but the Thai basil is really happy:

I pinched off the purple flowers after I took this pic. But it's so pretty with the purple, don't you think?

Joan already had rosemary in the yard. We left it where it is, because it is happy there, and it likes sandy soil (rather than the moist soil we put in for the herb garden).

A  few weeks ago, Joan found a spinach that is supposed to like hot weather. So we'll put that in somewhere:

Yesterday we went to the Farmer's Market to find more herbs. One thing we're looking for is culantro, which is a tropical relative of cilantro that does well in hot weather. The herb/worm poop guy has culantro, but he hasn't had it for the past few weeks.

Enthusiastic worm poop guy:

Herbs for sale:

Gratuitous Bailey pic:

Bailey with the sunflowers:

Sprouts and sunflowers:

Yesterday we bought: Lemongrass, peppers, a sweet basil that is supposed to do well in heat, and a tomato plant. So we'll be planting those and see how they do. Really, I shouldn't say "we"- so far, Joan has done all of the digging and watering.

Oh, and today I hung our windchimes, gifted from Mary & Eric when they moved to Panama. These windchimes have a long history- they spent 20 years in the Outer Banks, then Mary's cute little cottage here on the beach, and now our backyard/garden.

I tried to hang them in an auspicious location according to Feng Shui- but I am the last person who should be guessing at directions- LOL- so I hope they are actually in the Northwest corner? Ha! I'll have to double-check that.

We'll see if they work there. Hopefully there is enough of a breeze to enjoy them, but not so much that they are annoying.

We're getting a garden!

An herb garden! An organic herb garden! I am so excited : )

Stay tuned!