A really tasty site - with a pinch of spice

I have nothing today (actually too much of just about everything - even recipes - except for time! LoL

I just wanted to share with you all one of my favorite video cooking sites.

It is called Show Me the Curry . For some really good Indaian recipes with the occasional American or even Mexican or TexMex twist, you gotta go there! It will be your fist *and* last stop! Hetal and Anuja really do "Add a Pinch of Spice to Your Life"!

-Amylea

Spiced Kidney Beans

For this recipe, I use my Presto Pressure Canner but you can cook them in a regular pot, just check them frequently for doneness and add more water when needed.

Ingredients:

2lb Kidney Beans (soaked - see below for soaking instructions)
Enough Water to cover the saoked and rinsed Beans
1/8-1/4C. Braggs Liquid Amino (though I am against doing so, you may use tamari or soy sauce if you must)
2rounded Tblsp. Garam Masala Spice (buy at your local asian or indian market)
2Tblsp. Salt
1Tblsp. Red Chili Powder
2whole Green Cardamoms (pick some up while you are getting your Garam Masala)
1whole Black Cardamom
1large Bay Leaf

1. Place all ingredients into the Pressure Canner or pot.
2. Seal if using Pessure Canner
3. Turn burner on to high temp.
4. Turn burner down (off if electric) when pressure reaches 15 pounds*
5. Maintain 15 pounds of pressure for 1-3 minutes* (see why I say you can turn the burner completely off? It takes 1-3 min. for it to start going down if you had the burner on high heat.)
6. Allow pressure to drop naturally and remove lid only when pressure reaches zero(0) and all indicators are down.*
7. *The PURPLE steps do not apply if you are using a non-pressurised, traditional pot. - "just check (the beans) frequently for doneness and add more water when needed."

These are so yummy and are a perfect side dish to pretty much EVERYTHING. Serves *as a side* a family of 5 with BF Mom for 1 week.

Okey Carob-Mocha Frappe

This is a yummy treat and you could throw a few cubes of frozen milk in plaace of some of the liquid milk to make it a little slushey, too.

3 1/2c. Milk (whole or almond are recomended by - me but use what you like!)
1/4c. Agave Syrup or Honey
2rounded Tblsp. Cocoa Powder
2rounded Tblsp. Instant Coffee
1rounded Tblsp. Carob Powder

Place all ingredients in blender and blend on high.
Turn off blender before it over flows. (Mine suurpasses the 6c. mark pretty quickly!)
Serve in Chilled glasses.

Number of servings depends on how big your cup is! For me venti is tall! LoL

Papapio Pan - or Chicken, Potato and Green Beans Bake

0k It's late and I didn't write this one down. Here goes . . .

2lb. Chicken Thighs
1med. Onion
2lb. Potatoes
1 1/2lb. Green Beans
1/4c. Braggs Liquid Amino
Salt to taste
Pepper too
Braggs 24 Herb Sprinkle as well
Olive oil to coat pan

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.
2. Coat pan with Olive Oil (yup, start at the end). - I use 9x13x2
3. Place first 3 Ingredients in pan, in listed order.
4. Salt is best sprinkled directly on thighs (of the chicken!).
5. Add 5th ingredient. If absolutely necessary, this may be replaced by Soy sauce or Tamari - please don't need to do this!
6. Sprinkle Braggs Sprinkle or herbs of your choice on last.
7. Cover with aluminum foil or lid if one is available for the recipient being used.
8. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
9. Remove from oven.
10. Cool for 5-10 minutes.
11. Serve.
12. Let the compliments roll in!
13. ENJOY!

Guaca-yo Bleu Summer Dip

This is a great general dip . . . dip chips in it, dip veggies in it, dip home fries in it, my 2 yo. prefers to dip her fingers in it. I personally like to dip my summer in it!

You will need:

1med. Avocado
1med. Tomato
1/8c. diced Onion
1pint Plain Yoghurt
1/2 to 2/3c. Bleu Cheese
1Tbsp. Olive Oil
2tsp. Red Chili Powder
Salt to taste

1. Puree orange ingredients (first 3) in food processor.
2. Pour into med. mixing bowl.
3. Stir in remaining (green) ingredients.
4. Mix thouroughly.
5. Dip your favorite summertime dippable into the mixture.
6. ENJOY!

Holler Atcher Helpers Stampede Supper

This is so much better than hamburger-anything-from-a-box! It's not much harder to make, either!

Get out your wok or a big skillet, some kitchen helpers (or not, it's a really simple recipe but it might keep them from fighting if they get to help out), your appetite and the following ingredients:

• 1lb. Ground Meat (today we used Free-Range Bison)
• 1/2med. Onion (you pick the color according to meat selection and personal preferance, we have yellow)
• 3teeth of Garlic
• Salt to taste ( Little Bragg Liquid Amino really livens this up)
• Seasoning mix, such as Bragg, italian, Old Bay or a comparable mix of your favorite herbs, like rosemary, sage, lemon and orange peel, garlic, etc. -to taste

• 1stick Butter (1/2C.)
• 10oz Noodles (again, your choice, we are using spinach ribons today. experament with elbows, bowties, fetuccini or whatever noodle you have around)
• 2C. Yoghurt (plain, unsweetened, please!)
• 1C. Milk
• 1C. Water
• 1/2lb. Cheese (today's is colby jack with a touch of pepper jack. as usual, use what goes well with your other selections and your family will like)

1. Brown the BLUE INGREDIENTS.
2. Add the GREEN INGREDIENTS, except cheese.
3. Mix well and cover.
4. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
5. Simmer covered, stirring often until noodles are tender -time will vary depending on the choice of noodle. Most take 10-15 min.
6. Turn off heat and stir in cheese, adding about 1/4 at a time.
7. Cover and let stand 5 min.

If you take time to blog about this recipe while making it, you could take up to 30min. prep. and cook total. Hahah!

ENJOY!

You may not be able to tell from the picture but that is a (very) large wok, half-full. You may have left-overs but more likely, you will have a bunch of very full tummies!

Someone Else's Ice Lollies (and the bonus yum I filled the rest of the moldes with)

I found this recipe yesterday and made it today.
Yes, I *gasp* actually 'followed' a recipe I didn't make all my own!
Well, sort of followed. I did reduce the sugar to 2Tbsp. of Turbino.
That only filled 5 of the 8 spots in one of my ice lolly moldes. What to do...hm....
Can't freeze air. It just doesnt seem right.
So..............

I put into the unrinsed blender (Oh yeah, I used my Bosch blender/food processor instead of the recomended hand beater.) the following:

1/4C. of 1/2 Coconut Milk and 1/2 Heavy Whipping Cream
1sm. handfull Frozen Pineapple Chunks (You can use fresh or canned. Frozen is what I had on hand)

I plugged that baby in and let it whirl but not so much to make completely smooth. Then I poured it into the remaining empty moldes. They are still in the ice box but I did sample out of what remained stuck on the sides inside of my blender and each was DELISH!!!!!!!! I can't wait.

Peanut Butter Cereal Squares

You can actually make these with any nut butter but peanut butter seems to be popular.
If you were to eat 6 1/4 squares, you would have your daily protein intake, though you would way over do it on sugars, so *not* recomended to sit and gnash half of the batch, though they are yummy enough.

6-8C. Cereal ('Puffy' types like Kix, Puffed Kamut, Cheerios, Puffed Rice, etc. or flakes work well. -frosted flakes, while tasty, *will* add extra carbs and calories -  You may also use rolled oats or multi grains as 2C. or so of the cereal.)
2C. Nutbutter of your choice (See yesterday's post for a delicious almond butter recipe. If you use commercial, one 18oz. jar is perfect. Use the whole thing - no measuring needed.)
1C. Agave Syrup (You may use bee honey if you are not giving these treats to a child under one year of age but the A.S. has a lower glycemic index and gives it a very rich flavor.)

1) Place Cereal in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
2) Place Nutbutter and Agave Syrup in a saucepan over med. heat.
3) Wisk constantly until combination begins to boil.
4) Pour hot Nutbutter mixture over Cereal, scraping edges of saucepan.
5) Mix well until all Cereal is coated.
6) Dump the entire mixture into a 9x13 inch baking pan, which you may either line with waxed paper or lightly grease with butter or coconut oil, ahead of time.
7) Press into pan firmly. Rolling a rolling pin over it works well or simply press on it with buttered hands. (That is fun for the kids, if you happen to haave a couple handy.)
8) Chill in ice box for 2+ hours.
9) Cut into 16 equal parts. (1/2 and then 1/2, then do the same to each 1/4.)
10) Enjoy! (This step is very important and must not be skipped!)

*If you use 6C. of Cereal, you may also add up to 2C. of your choice of 'treats'. These could be chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, rasins, other dried fruit, *gasp* chocolate or other chips or gummy candies, chia seeds, hemp seeds, whatever you think of that would make your family smile! :)

** DO NOT skimp on step #10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Raw Almond Butter

0k, so this may be lazy of me to post but is so yummy, I had to call it to attention!

1C. Raw Almonds
5-7 Tbsp. Organic Coconut Oil
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt

1) Place Almonds, Salt and a couple Tbsp. of the Oil in a blender/food processor.
2) Pulse the processor a few times to break up th almonds a bit then turn on high.
3) Add Oil 1 Tbsp. at a time until you see the consistancy you desire.
4) Stop the processor to scrape down the edges as needed.
5) Keep blending on high until butter is nice and warm - even almost hot.
6) Pour into storage container, seal tightly and store in a cool dark cupboard.
    (It will be possible to pour out of the processor, due to its temperature. You may wish to also scrape the rest out with a rubber spatula.)

*Makes about 1/2 pint

Almond Milk

This was requested by a very special lady whom I was recently blessed to meet. Thank you Diana Lea for being so wonderful and helpful!

1C. Raw Almonds
water (enough to cover almonds)
4C. Water
1-2 pinches Salt
1tsp. Vanilla Extract
Sweetener of choice - to taste

1. Soak almonds in enough water to cover them thoroughly for one hour.
2. Drain and rinse almonds.
3. Blend almonds with about 2C. of water about 1min.
4. Strain through a flour sack cloth or other similar clean, thin cloth into 2Qt. container.
5. Squeeze out excess liquid and return pulp to blender with remaining water.
6. Blend on high about one minute and repeat steps 4&5 except for returning to blender.
7. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
8. Enjoy! This milk is delicious either chilled or freshly made.

Use in coffee, over cereal, alone in a glass or however you prefer.
For a slight change, add 1-2Tbsp. cocoa powder to the blender in step 3.
Raw (turbino) sugar, bee honey, stevia, agave syrup, maple syrup, coconut sugar or whole (seedless) dates are just a few wonderful sweeteners you may choose to try in this refreshing recipe.

Bisonte ala Mexicana

1-1 1/2 lb. Bison London Broil cut into strips or cubed
1 Serrano Pepper
1 med. Onion
5 med. Roma Tomatoes

Salt, Pepper, Herb-and-Spice to taste (I like to use Bragg Organic Sprinkle Seasoning)

1. Saute Meat over med. heat in wok or skillet. (You may marinade over night in Bragg Amino Liquid, Tamari or similar liquid.)

2. Chop and add Peppers and saute for 1 min. (Add 1 small pinch of salt.)

3. Repeat step 2 for onion. (Add 1 pinch of salt.)

4. Repeat again for Tomatoes until done. (Add salt to taste at the moment of adding Tomatoes.)

5. Smother in cheese of your choice if desired.

6. Enjoy with hot Corn Tortillas.

Banana-Mango Smoothey

*For this recipe, you will need to freeze some yoghurt of your choice in an icecube tray. (Vanilla, Maple or Plain work well.)

1 1/2 C. Milk (Anything from half-and-half to skim is fine, or even soy or nut)
1 Med. or Lg. Mango
1 Med. Banana

1 tsp. Cinnamon Powder
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
4 Yoghurt Cubes (well frozen)

Place first 3 ingredients in blender and puree.
Add Cinnamon Powder, Vanillla Extract and Yoghurt Cubes 1-at-a-time until just crushed.
Set on high for a few seconds for extra 'fluffiness'.
Serve immediately and enjoy much!

*Makes 3 or 4 servings
**If desired, you may add a sweetener, such as stevia liquid, agave syrup or raw honey.
***For added B Vitamins and Protien, I also add 1 Tbsp. Bee Pollen and 2 rounded Tbsp. Protien Powder (I use Soy but Whey or Egg White are excellent sources of protiene without the exessive phytoestrogens)

Citrus Cream Punch Ice Lollies

Before you make this one, you will want to freeze some Maple or Vanilla Yoghurt in an icecube tray. You will be using 4 cubes.
Once Yoghurt Cubes are frozen, make the following punch:

1C. Orange Juice
2Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2Tbsp. Agave Syrup
10Drops Liquid Stevia Sweetener (plain, unflavored)
2C. Water
2.Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Mix ingredients well. Set aside in refrigerator while preparing the moldes.
To prepare moldes:
Remove Yoghurt Cubes from tray and chop each into fourths.
Divide cubes equally between portions of the molde.
Add Punch to nearly fill each molde.
Place sticks in moldes and freeze 2 hours or until completely solid.
Remove from moldes and enjoy!

(Note: Any left-over punch can be mixed with equal parts water and enjoyed as a delicious beverage.
Also, experiment with amounts of sweetener, as everyone has different preference. Just remember that frozen treats should always be a bout twice as strong and twice as sweet as you would drink.)

'Perfect' Banana Shake

This is what I invented this morning for the kiddos so they could cool off and at the same time let me enjoy my mango virgin pina colada (recipe in future post).

Not a recommended daily treat:

1C. Whole Milk
1/2C. Hevy Whipping Cream
*1tsp Bee Pollen Grain
2tsp. Vanilla Extract
2large Bananas
13 Ice Cubes

Place first 4 ing. in blender and turn on high.
Add ing #5 (bananas).
Allow to whip up nicely (15-30 sec.)
Turn blender to low setting.
Add ice cubes 1 or 2 at a time at a steady pace, allowing to crush a bit between each addition.
After adding last ice cube, turn blend back to high setting for a few more seconds for 'fluffiness'.
Enjoy.

Makes 2 servings.

*Adds extra B vitamins. Can be left out without effecting the integrity of the shake.

Pancakes (The simple kind)

Now, the reason I am posting such a simple recipe is that you can take just seconds extra to mix up as much dry mix as you wish and have 'instant' pancake mix whenever you want.

One batch:

2C. Flour (all-purpose, whole wheat or 1/2 white-1/2 wheat) of your choice
2tsp. Baking Powder (more on making an aluminum-free DIY version of this ingredient another day)
1dash Salt
3Eggs
1 to 1 1/2C Milk (whole is best, as it has the essential nutrients)
1tsp. Vanilla Extract

Sift dry ingredients. Add milk and eggs. mix just until moist and stir in vanilla. Cook in hot, buttered skillet over medium to medium-high heat until bubbles pop, leaving small holes on top of batter but not dry. Flip and continue to cook until center springs back when lightly touched with finger. Remove to plate and enjoy with your favorite toppings.

*Please comment to share your topping faves.

Bulk mix:

8C. Flour
2 1/2Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/4tsp Salt
3/4C. Dry Egg Powder
2C. Dry Powdered Milk

To use:

Mix 1 1/3C. dry mix with
3/4C. water

Stir until just moist and stir in a dash of Vanilla Extract.
Cook as directed above.

For larger bulk batches:

16C. Flour
1/4C+1Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/2tsp. Salt
1 1/2C. Dry Egg Powder
4C. Dry Powdered Milk

Prepare as instructed above.

or

32C. Flour
5/8C. (1/2C.+2Tbsp.) Baking Powder
1tsp. Salt
3C. Dry Egg Powder
8C. Dry Powdered Milk

Prepare as instructed above (in blue highlight).

Green Power Smoothy

0k. This one is cortesy of my 9-year old DS. Through these hot months, many recies will be for drinks, coolers and blender-friendly concoctions.

Green Power Smoothy:
2C. Unfilterd Apple Juice (fresh made or in a bottle from the local health store)
2 Med. Bananas
1 Large handful of Fresh Baby Spinach
1 roundish teaspoon (the kind one might use to stir coffee or tea) Spirulina Powder

Combine all ingredients in blender. Give 'em a whirl and drink it down. This is super for all day energy and is so full of mucronutrients. Experament with adding a couple of baby carrots or (carefully) a few broccoli florets. We have recently had it a few times with a couple of sprigs of cilantro (corriander leaf).
Enjoy!

This is how much spinach we usually use:

And this is what it looks like done:

Desortade

This is a needed staple during the 10-month summers here in the 'desort' regions of AZ.

You will want to mix up this concentrate in advance to have plenty on hand!
Combine:
3C. 'clear' juice concentrate (I use a 12oz container each of apple and white grape.)
3C. lemon juice (fresh-squeezed if you have a tree or from a bottle)
1Tbsp. Sea Salt or Morton Lite Salt
 - Make sure all salt dissolves and store in fridge.

To Drink:

Mix 1/2C. above mixture with 1/8tsp. baking soda (not baking powder!) and enough filtered or purified water (about 3 1/2C.) to make  1Qt.(4C.). Chill and enjoy!

Welcome!

This blog shall be dedicated to awesome recipes. Feel free to mix, shake, bake, brew, stew and share your remixes of any Cre-Eats you find here!