Greener Pastures Natural Foods Co-op - Blog #Recipe

Breakfast Burritos

Sat, 22 Sep 2018 18:03:53 -0600

SERVINGS: 8

Vegetable or another neutral oil

2 large yukon gold potatoes, diced small (about 1/2-inch cubes)

1 small red onion, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 to 2 jalapenos, or to taste, chopped small

1/2 pound sausage (breakfast or another variety you like) removed from casings, crumbled into chunks, or bacon

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 ounces baby spinach (I use a package from salad greens section)

1 3/4 cups black beans, drained and rinsed (from 1 15-ounce can)

12 large eggs

8 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Salsa, homemade or prepared, to taste

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack (or more, to taste)

Pickled jalapenos, fresh chopped cilantro, hot sauce, avocado or guacamole, sour cream, or other fixings you like (as needed)

Prepare vegetables: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat your largest baking sheet thinly with oil. Arrange your components — potatoes, pepper(s), onion, sausage or strips of bacon — in different parts stripes down the pan. (This allows you to rescue some items sooner if they cook faster.) Coat with another glug of oil, and season the potatoes and peppers well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast for 30 minutes. The bacon and sausage should be cooked through and crisp at this point; you can remove them and set them aside. Use a thin, large spatula to lift and turn the potatoes and peppers; return them to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. When potatoes are tender, scatter spinach on top, return to oven for 5 minutes; it will wilt quickly. Use your spatula to mix all of your roasted ingredients together. Scatter black beans over (this will warm them), crumble or chop bacon, if using, and return it or the sausage to the tray so everything’s in one place.

Prepare eggs: Whisk your eggs together in a large bowl until lightly beaten. Season well with salt (I use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher) and many grinds of black pepper. Heat your largest frying pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add a bit of oil to the pan and heat it too. Once the oil is hot, add your eggs. Let them cook for 20 to 30 seconds before beginning to move and turn them in spatula-wide sections. When eggs are mostly cooked but still a tiny bit runny, scrape them into a bowl. The residual heat of the eggs should cook them to about the 95% mark; they’ll finish cooking as you warm your burritos.

Assemble burritos: Place a large square of foil on your counter. Place first tortillla over it. [I find mine are soft enough to wrap without tearing from the bag, but if yours are not, lay it on a pan in the probably still residually warm oven for a minute or two to soften (but not dry out).] Eyeball about 1/8 of the vegetable mixture and scoop it into the center, followed by a little salsa (I use 1 to 2 tablespoons per burrito), 1/8 the eggs, cheese to taste, plus whatever fixings you cannot live without.

Roll the burrito tightly by folding the sides over the filling then rolling from the bottom up. Wrap in foil the same way; folding the foil first over the ends of the burrito (ideally forming a “cup” at each end to catch drips, although my kids just see this as a challenge).

If eating right away: I rewarm the foil-wrapped burritos on a tray for 5 minutes in a 350-degree oven. (This is just to get everything hot again and melt the cheese.)

To freeze: Place foil-wrapped burritos in a freezer bag and press all of the air out. They will keep in the freezer for 2 months.

To warm from the freezer in the oven: I place the foil-wrapped burritos on a tray in a 350-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes (turn over halfway) to heat them through. Depending on how cold your freezer is and how packed the burritos are, it could take more or less time. To check, press a toothpick through the foil into the center of a burrito and pull it out; if the toothpick feels warm or hot, the burrito is heated. If it’s cold (it will be clear if it’s cold), it needs more time.

To warm from the freezer in a microwave: Remove foil and microwave for 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 minutes, turning burrito over halfway. I find microwaves range a bit in defrosting times so you might find you need more or less.

To defrost in the fridge and warm in the oven: If you’re a plan-ahead type, you can let it begin defrosting in the fridge overnight. I heat these the same way I do frozen ones, but check 10 minutes sooner. I highly recommend not leaving burritos in flour tortillas in the fridge for more than a day; the wetness of the fillings can make the wrappers mushy or soggy.

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Roasted Cauliflower With Pumpkin Seeds

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 10:48:47 -0600

SERVINGS:

1 TO 2 HEARTY, 3 TO 4 AS A SIDE

TIME: 45 MINUTES

SOURCE: BON APPETIT

This recipe was almost perfect from Bon Appetit, but I found each step needed less cooking time and included my own roasting tweaks; I added weights. The original calls for 1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes, that’s a good punch if you like heat, otherwise, adjust to your taste. The original recipe specifies raw unsalted pumpkin seeds (pepitas, or pumpkin seeds with the outer hull removed) but I had no problems with my already toasted, salted pumpkin seeds burning and still needed to add a little salt to get the seasoning level right.

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large or 2 small heads of cauliflower (about 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 pounds)

2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter

1/4 cup (30 grams) hulled pumpkin seeds (sold as pepitas) (see note above)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or less to taste

Juice of half a lime (about 1 tablespoon)

Handful chopped fresh cilantro, parsley or chives

Heat oven to 450°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with just over 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle the sheet with salt and pepper. Trim cauliflower and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet, then drizzle with remaining scant 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until underside is deeply browned. Carefully flip pieces and roast until dark brown and crisp on second side, about 15 to 20 minutes longer.

While cauliflower roasts, in a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter, then reduce heat to medium-low and add pumpkin seeds. Stirring the whole time, cook until butter becomes light brown and smells toasty, about 4 to 6 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then add lime juice and season with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.

Arrange cauliflower on a serving platter and drizzle with dressing. Serve topped with herbs.

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Grilled Zucchini Ribbons with Pesto and White Beans

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 10:43:03 -0600

SERVINGS: 2 AS A MAIN, 4 AS A SIDE

TIME: 15 MINUTES

This is a very loose recipe. Sure, I made it with zucchini ribbons, but there’s no reason you cannot use smaller or angled slices. Sure, I grilled it but if you don’t have a grill outside or an indoor grill pan, you could roast or broil it instead. It will taste essentially the same, which is to say, I hope, awesome. You could eat this with grilled bread for a light summer meal. You could crack open a ball of burrata over it for extra luxury (you may find the parmesan unnecessary in this case). You could finish it with toasted pine nuts for extra crunch. You could build it into a larger meal for a small crowd with grilled sausages and a caprese salad too.

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, thinner longer ones are ideal here

Olive oil

Coarse or kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon

1 3/4 cups (from 1 15-ounce can) small-to-medium-sized white beans, drained (I used – Goya’s Great Northern beans)

1 garlic clove, peeled

A 2-ounce bundle of basil (this is the small clamshell size at most groceries)

1 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Coarsely grated parmesan, to taste

Prepare the zucchini: Trim ends and cut zucchini the long way into 1/4-inch strips. I use a mandoline for this (I have this one but will soon replace it with this) but a knife works too. Spread out strips on a large tray and brush lightly with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

On a grill (I use the full heat, but have a dinky, small grill; you might find a more moderate heat better here) or a grill pan, grill zucchini in a single layer until grill marks appear underneath, then flip over and repeat the same on the other side. Transfer zucchini back to platter and squeeze lemon juice over it.

Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine basil and garlic with a few good pinches of salt and a few grinds of black pepper until chopped. Drizzle in olive oil until it blends smoothly; you’ll want about 4, sometimes 5, tablespoons. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar and blend until well-mixed; taste and add more vinegar, up to 1 more tablespoon, to taste. Season to taste.

Combine beans with about 2/3 of the dressing in a small bowl. In a larger bowl or serving platter, pour half of dressed beans in the bottom. Arrange grilled zucchini on top, twisting and turning it so that it looks extra ribbony. Spoon remaining beans in the spaces. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the platter, to taste.

Finish with a light blanket of parmesan and eat whenever you’re ready. As assembled, it keeps well at room temperature for an hour, giving you time to do everything else.

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How to Make Kombucha in 3 Simple Steps!

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 10:36:31 -0600

Kombucha is a tasty, easy to make fermented beverage that delivers a probiotic kick. If you’ve ever purchased kombucha at the grocery store, you know it is delicious, but expensive! I’m going to show you how to make kombucha at home – for pennies a serving – and in just three simple steps. If you want to take the kombucha love up a notch, you can continue the process with a secondary ferment. I’ll give you some suggestions for flavor combinations below, and also check out my super delicious wild-foraged elderflower kombucha recipe!

What is Kombucha Anyways?

If you haven’t yet experienced kombucha, it is a fermented beverage made from tea, sugar, and a culture called a SCOBY, or a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. During the fermentation process, the SCOBY “eats” the sugar and creates a tart, tangy liquid. We used to affectionately call the SCOBY the “Tea Beast” because it has the appearance of a jellyfish or large gelatinous mushroom floating on the top of the sweetened tea!

As the SCOBY eats the sugars in your kombucha, two things happen. One is that the SCOBY grows a new baby SCOBY. This is awesome because it means that your kombucha is self-perpetuating. You will soon have enough SCOBY to double or triple your batch size, and also to share with friends.

The second thing is that the kombucha-making process produces a number of beneficial organic acids, good bacteria and yeasts, B vitamins, a bit of alcohol, and carbon dioxide, so you end up with a tangy, slightly fizzy, probiotic-filled beverage.

The Magic of the Secondary Ferment
The tanginess of kombucha can be controlled by the length of fermentation – a longer ferment will produce a more vinegary flavor. You can drink the kombucha as tangy as you like, but in my opinion, the real magic happens when you continue onto a secondary ferment, where a variety of ingredients such as fruit juice, ginger, whole fruit, chia, lemon, and other flavors can be added to accent the kombucha tang and to generate more fizz. Some flavors that we've enjoyed are: Strawberry basil, Peach ginger, Blueberry mint, Elderflower, Grape juice, Elderberry syrup,
How to Make Kombucha
Ingredients:
1/2 gallon water
4 tsp loose black tea
1/2 cup organic sugar
SCOBY with 1/4 cup of starter tea
(Optional) 1 cup of fruit juice for the secondary ferment
Supplies:
Half gallon mason jar
Tea towel or cheesecloth
Rubber band or mason jar ring
Wire mesh filter
Flip-top glass bottles for secondary fermentation (like these)
SCOBY starters can be purchased online (Cultures for Health is a great resource), or you can ask around in your community or online for a SCOBY. Because the SCOBY multiplies with each batch, regular kombucha makers always have extra SCOBY to go around and are usually happy to spread the SCOBY love!
1) Brew a batch of tea by boiling water and adding the loose tea to steep for about 10 minutes. Strain out the loose tea through a wire mesh filter, and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve completely. Allow the sweetened tea to cool to room temperature.
2) Pour the sweetened tea into a large glass mason jar or glass dispenser and add your SCOBY and starter tea. Cover with a piece of breathable cloth (cheesecloth or a lightweight tea towel work well) and secure with a rubber band or mason jar ring.
3) Place your kombucha out of direct sunlight in a room temperature location to ferment. Depending on how warm the ambient temperature is, check the flavor of your kombucha in five to seven days. Kombucha will ferment more quickly in warmer temperatures, and as it ferments, it will develop a stronger, sour-tangy flavor.
When the kombucha flavor is to your liking, you can either drink it as is, or you can proceed to the secondary ferment!
Flavoring Your Kombucha with a Secondary Ferment
For the secondary ferment, you’ll need one cup of fruit juice and enough tightly sealing containers (like Grolsch flip-top beer bottles) to hold your kombucha.
1) Remove your SCOBY and 1/2 cup of kombucha and place them in a glass jar to start a new batch.
2) Divide your fruit juice equally among your glass bottles and top off the bottle with your kombucha. Seal the lid and place the bottle in a safe place to ferment for one to five days (fermentation will happen more quickly in warmer temperatures).
Important Safety Note: At this stage, the fermentation of the sugary fruit juice will create carbon dioxide, which is what will make your kombucha fizzy. However, the carbon dioxide can also cause your glass jars to explode if the fermentation is left unchecked. Carefully “burp” your bottle each day to check on the level of carbonation, and store in a safe location. A cooler is an option we have used in the past.
3) When your kombucha has developed fizz, move it to the refrigerator or drink immediately! If I plan to make add chia to my kombucha, I generally do it at this point.
Enjoy drinking your homemade kombucha and please share your favorite flavor combinations in the comments!
Posted by https://homestead-honey.com/2018/07/13/how-to-make-kombucha/

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Winter Squash Pancakes with Crispy Sage and Brown Butter

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 10:02:52 -0600

SERVINGS: 12 PANCAKES, CAN SERVE 3 AS A MAIN OR 4 TO 6 AS A SIDE

TIME: 15 MINUTES, ONCE SQUASH IS COOKED

I prefer my own winter squash pancake — a little more squash, less flour and an additional egg to help it set — recipe but the crispy sage brown butter is inspired by a Mimi Thorisson version (link to come once site is back online). Thorisson recommends 5+ tablespoons butter but I found even 2, or even “2-ish” makes a finish that trickles over the side of a stack just enough that you can taste and enjoy it but not drown in richness, definitely adjust to your taste.

Finally, I can just about guarantee that you will not regret if you double this recipe. The pancakes keep well in the fridge and can also be frozen.

PANCAKES

1 cup (8 to 8 1/4 ounces) roasted and mashed winter squash

1/3 cup (80 grams) yogurt or sour cream

2 large eggs

1/2 cup (about 30 grams) finely grated gruyere, comte or parmesan

3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt

A few grinds of black pepper

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour

Butter or olive oil for frying pan

TO FINISH

2 to 3 tablespoons butter

A pinch or two of salt

A few fresh sage leaves

In a large bowl, whisk squash, yogurt, eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and baking powder until smooth. Add flour and stir until just combined. Batter will be thick.

Heat a large frying over medium-low to medium heat. Coat the bottom with butter or olive oil, or a combination thereof, and spoon in pancake batter, a heaped soup spoon or scant 1/4 cup at a time. Press the back of the batter mound to flatten the pancake slightly. Cook until golden brown underneath, flip and then cook until the color until golden brown on the second side. If this is happening very fast, lower your heat. If you’re worried pancakes have not cooked in the center, you can finish them for 10 minutes in a 250 degrees oven. You can also keep your pancakes warm there until needed. Repeat with remaining batter.

To finish, wipe out frying pan and place butter, a pinch or two of salt and sage leaves back in it, heating over medium. The sage leaves will crisp and the butter will brown in a minute or two so keep a close watch on it. Pour leaves and butter over pancakes and quickly understand why you’ll never have them another way.

To roast squash: For butternut or kabocha, I halve the squash, scoop out the seeds and roast it face-down on an oiled baking sheet that I’ve sprinkled with coarse salt at 375 for 40 to 50 minutes, until tender. I get about 2 cups mashed squash from one 2-pound (i.e. small-medium) whole squash. If yours is already peeled and in, say, 1-inch chunks, it will likely be tender in just 25 minutes (just updated after rechecking my notes).

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Apple Strudel

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 09:42:42 -0600

Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel)

SERVINGS: 12 TO 16,

MAKES 1 LARGE 14-INCH STRUDEL

OR 2 10 TO 11-INCH SMALLER ONES

TIME: 1 1/2 TO 2 HOURS

This recipe is just barely adapted from Luisa Weiss’s incredible Classic German Baking. You could make it to the letter and be very happy. I ended up tweaking it just a little — I kept finding I had too much apple filling and not enough crumbs (likely due to the fact that I’m recommending panko over making your own), so I’ve nudged both accordingly. About the apple filling, I found when I used less apples, it was easier to get a thin log (as you see up top, which looks more traditional to me) and it stayed more crisp than the flatter, wider ones I’d made with the recommended weight of apple filling.

I also found the halved size to be more suited to our needs, and a little less scary to handle. It bakes in a few minutes less time. The instructions below are for one full-sized strudel, however. If halving, you’ll want to stretch each half the dough into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle instead.

If yours leaks a little, don’t fret. Our first two did, my second two did not, i.e. it gets easier with practice. If it softens when it cools, you can re-crisp it in the oven, but most people will tell you it’s really at its best the first day.

Re, breadcrumbs: Weiss’s recipe calls for 1/2 cup and they clock in at 60 grams. I find panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs) to be an almost exact match for white bread that I’ve dried and ground, and use it instead. But it’s much lighter (less than 30 grams per 1/2 cup) which probably explains why I felt I needed more to both absorb the butter and hold the apples in place. If you’re not using panko breadcrumbs, you might find the original measurement better suits your needs.

Finally, vanilla sugar (vanillezucker)! Weiss notes that vanilla extract is unheard of in most of Europe, the vanilla sugar reigns supreme. [My mother informs me that my late grandmother, who almost never baked, still always had a jar of this around.] However, the commercial stuff is often artificial. If you don’t have a vanilla bean, you can add one teaspoon of vanilla extract to the apple filling below. However, if you’d like to make some, you’re in for a treat. Split one vanilla bean open and scrape seeds into 2 cups (400 grams) of granulated sugar. Use your fingertips to disperse it throughout. Stick the empty bean pod in the sugar too; there’s plenty of flavor left to be had. You’ll need less than half for this recipe but I promise you’ll enjoy having the rest around. It also makes wonderful gifts in a pretty glass jar.

RAISINS

1/2 cup (80 grams) raisins

2 tablespoons (30 ml) dark rum

DOUGH

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (150 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Pinch of salt

3 tablespoons (45 ml) sunflower, safflower or another neutral oil

1/3 cup (80 ml) water

APPLE FILLING

2 pounds (905 grams) firm apples (about 5 to 6)

Juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated sugar or vanilla sugar (see note above)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

8 tablespoons (115 grams) unsalted butter, divided 3/4 cup (40 grams) plain, unseasoned dried breadcrumbs (I used, and recommend, panko, see note above)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar or vanilla sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

TO FINISH

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving

Prepare the raisins: The day before, combine the raisins and the rum in a small bowl and cover; set aside for 24 hours. However, should you be reading this and want to make it right now, I found microwaving the two together for 10 to 15 seconds and setting them aside until you’re ready to mix the filling allowed them to absorb almost as well.

Make the dough: The day of, combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add the oil and water and mix with a spoon or your index finger until a rough dough forms. Turn it out onto a very lightly floured counter and knead for 10 minutes. It sounds like it will be forever, but set a timer and chat with a friend, it goes quickly. After 10 minutes, the dough should be soft and silky to the tough. Form it into a ball, place it on the counter and upend the mixing bowl over it. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the apples: Peel, halve, core and slice thin in one direction, then halve the slices crosswise, creating thin squarish rectangles of apples. Place them in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon, if using. Add the raisins and any rum left in the bowl.

Prepare the breadcrumbs: In a small skillet over medium-low heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter and add the breadcrumbs, sugar and salt. Stir to coat and cook, stirring frequently as they can burn quickly, until crumbs are an even golden brown and very fragrant. Don’t let them burn. Scrape into a dish (or they’ll keep cooking in the pan) and set aside.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line 1 large or 2 smaller baking sheets with parchment paper.

Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a small dish.

Roll out your dough (these directions are for a full-sized strudel): Cover your work surface with a cleaning linen towel or sheet that’s at least 24-by-32 inches. The long side should be horizontal. Sprinkle the cloth lightly with flour. Place the dough in the middle, sprinkle it very lightly with flour and roll in both directions until it’s about 10-by-13 inches, or about as far as the rolling pin can take it. Make sure the dough hasn’t stuck to the cloth; reflour if it has. Now the stretching begins! Ball your hands to loose fists, put them under the rolled-out dough and gently start stretching the dough using the back of your hands. Alternate with pulling the dough gently with your fingers to continue stretching it, stretching the edges thin too. This is all much easier than it sounds, but be patient. If holes form, pinch the dough back together. Continue stretching until the dough is about 16-by-24 inches.

Assemble strudel: Brush evenly with about half the melted butter. On the right side of the rectangle, a few inches from the end, spread the breadcrumbs top to bottom in a thick line, leaving a little more than an inch margin at the top and bottom of the strip. Scoop the apples with a slotted spoon, leaving any accumulated juices in the bowl, and pile them over the crumbs. Gently pull the top and bottom edges of the dough over the apple mixture. Pull the right edge of the dough up and over the filling as far as it will go without tearing. Working carefully, use the towel to roll up the strudel all the way. Place the parchment paper from your baking sheet at the edge of the roll and roll the strudel onto it. Ideally, it should be breadcrumb side-down on the parchment, you can roll it again if it’s not. Use the parchment like a sling to gently place the strudel on the baking sheet.

Brush the strudel generously all over with some of the remaining butter. Bake for 15 minutes, then brush again and return to the oven in a rotated position. Repeat this once, baking a total of 45 minutes. (Half-size strudels seem to bake 5 or so minutes faster.) The finished strudel should be crisp to the touch and a deep golden brown.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and slice into pieces to serve.

Strudel is best the day it is made, but it keeps for 1 to 2 days at room temperature. I’ve also read that you can freeze it (am trying this as we speak, will give more notes once it defrosts). Before serving, you can crisp up leftover strudel in a 350 degree F (180 degree C) oven.

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