OMEGA MELTS

Ok, so sardines are pretty much a superfood - one of the most concentrated sources of omega-3 fatty acids, full of vitamins B12 and D, as well as a very good source of phosphorus which is vital for bone health.  But lets be honest, how many of us eat them on a regular basis, and enjoy it?  That's what I thought.  Well, I am happy to announce that I have a sardine recipe that you will crave.  Once you try it, your going to ask yourself why you never thought of it before.

OMEGA MELTS

1 can of Atlantic sardines

1 can wild or organic salmon

homemade Omega Mayo, to taste (recipe follows)

2 organic green onions, chopped

1 organic carrot, grated 

1/4 cup lacto-fermented veggies, chopped (I used purple sauerkraut)

sea salt and pepper 

1 cup organic raw cheddar cheese, grated

5 slices organic sprouted or sourdough bread, lightly toasted

Method: Preheat oven to broil.  Drain some of the oil off the cans of fish.  Place the fish in a bowl, along with all the ingredients up to the cheese.  Mash and combine with a fork.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle a bit of cheese onto each slice of bread.  Spread some of the fish salad on each top of the cheese.  Then top with the rest of the cheese.  Broil until the cheese starts to brown.  Enjoy.

If you aren't eating bread these days, this Omega Mash can be served with carrot sticks, stuffed into an avocado or red pepper, or rolled up in nori.

Don't be alarmed by the bright yellow hue of this kick ass mayonnaise.  You see, that is what something made with real eggs is supposed to look like.  Not only do eggs from pastured, organic, free range hens taste better, they are chock full of more goodies like Vitamins E, A, Omega 3's and Beta Carotene than confined factory farm eggs.  I supercharge this mayo with even more Omega 3's by adding flax and hemp oils.  A wee bit of coconut oil makes a nice thick and creamy spread too.

Most homemade mayonnaise only lasts about 2-3 days in the fridge, but this baby is lacto-fermented and so extends it to 2-3 weeks.

OMEGA MAYO

3 egg yolks (organic, pastured etc)

1 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar or lemon 

(great way to use up herbal vinegars if you have them, I used Red Clover)

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp local raw honey

1 tsp organic dijon mustard

1/8 cup organic hemp oil

1/8 cup organic flax oil

1/2 cup organic light olive oil

1/8 cup organic coconut oil

1/8 cup organic avocado oil

1 Tbsp organic whey liquid

Method:  Place egg yolks, apple cider vinegar, salt, honey, whey, and mustard into the base of your vitamix or food processor.  Blend on very low as you slowly drizzle in the oils.  When the mayo emulsifies, thickens and chokes the blender, it's done.  Pour into a jar and allow to sit on the counter overnight.  Refrigerate.

SUPERSEED COOKIES

I love it when you have your cookie and eat it too.  These tasty little treats are chock full of nutrient rich hemp and chia seeds - full of protein so you won't crash and burn.  Totally nourishing, very satisfying.  What more can you ask for in a cookie?

SUPERSEED COOKIES

1/2 cup organic shelled hemp seeds

1/4 cup organic unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup organic chia seeds

3 organic eggs

1/2 cup organic coconut flour

1/4 cup organic coconut oil, melted

1 tsp organic ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup local maple syrup or honey

1/2 cup organic chocolate chips

1/4 cup organic raisins

Method: Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Stir well and allow to stand for 5 minutes until the coconut flour absorbs all the liquid.  Form into flattened rounds.  Bake in a preheated 350* oven for about 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

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BARE BONES OF WINTER

We are in the thick of winter.  Deep drifts of snow encase our home, and our activities revolve around the warm, cozy fire.  Trekking out to the deep freeze in the barn, I unearthed from deep beneath piles of pork chops a package of lamb ribs from this fall's slaughter.  

Soups are a regular feature on our dinner table these days.  Warming and comforting, soups almost seem necessary for surviving the long winter.  They are also a great way for using up those challenging cuts of meat and frozen packages of summer's bounty.

SCOTCH BROTH with Winter Roots, Barley & Lamb's Quarters

Grass Fed Lamb - 

either leftover from a roast or any bits and bobs you having around

1 organic leek or 2 onions, chopped

2 sticks organic celery, chopped

2 organic carrots, chopped

organic avocado oil or butter

1 small rutabaga, peeled and chopped

1 organic potato, peeled and chopped

1/2 cups organic pearl barley, rinsed

1-2 cups cooked wild lamb's quarters or spinach, chopped

3 litres organic bone broth ( I used chicken)

sea salt and pepper

Method:  If meat isn't already cooked, preheat oven to 350*.  Place lamb in a pan and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for about an hour.  Remove from oven, allow to cool.  Remove meat from bones, reserving bones to use in soup.

Saute the leek or onion, carrots, and celery in the oil until softened.  Add the stock and bones.  Simmer on low for about 30-45 minutes.   Remove the bones and then add the rutabaga, potato, barley and lamb's quarters,  and simmer gently for about an hour.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy.

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WHEN THE CAT'S AWAY.....

we definitely played.  My dad whisked away my eldest son for a few days, and so my husband and I have been leisurely accomplishing things we never seem to manage to with two kids around.  I harvested some nettle from the garden and made homemade pasta. Seriously good served with a filet of salmon in a balsamic mustard glaze.  I said, "Honey, you know what they say....the way to man's heart is through his stomach....".  A great way to say I love you. 

FRESH NETTLE PASTA with Fresh Tomatoes and Blue Cheese

The idea for using fresh tomatoes and blue cheese came from Hugh Fearnsley-Whittingstall's cookbook Three Good Things.  

1 1/2 cups unbleached organic white flour 

2 cups organic light spelt flour

3 organic eggs, beat lightly

1/2 tsp sea salt

6 cups fresh nettle 

Method: Wash the nettle to remove grit.  Remove leaves from woody stems and place in a pot with 1/4 cup of water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce, steaming until tender - about 4-5 mins.  Drain well and allow to cool.  Be sure to squeeze out excess moisture.  Chop finely.  

In the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, salt, eggs and nettle.  With the paddle, stir for 1 minute on #2.  Switch to hook and mix for a couple of minutes.  Add more flour if necessary.  Then knead by hand for a couple of minutes.  Allow to rest in a covered bowl for 30 mins.  

     Use a pasta machine to make pasta.

SAUCE:  2 tubs of cherry tomatoes, quartered

1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced

sea salt and pepper

good olive oil

nice wedge of European blue cheese

Method:  Combine all ingredients and allow to macerate for at least 30 mins.  When pasta is cooked, toss with the tomatoes and then crumble on the blue cheese.  Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.  Stir lightly and serve.

SALMON with Balsamic Mustard Glaze

1 nice wild salmon fillet

4 cloves organic garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp organic white wine

1 Tbsp local honey or maple syrup

1/3 cup organic balsamic vinegar

4 tsp organic Dijon mustard

sea salt and pepper to taste

fresh organic oregano, chopped

Method: Preheat oven to 400*.  In a small saucepan combine the garlic, wine, honey, vinegar, and mustard.  Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken.  Allow to cool and then brush the salmon with half the glaze and sprinkle with chopped oregano.  Bake in oven for 10-15 mins.  Reglaze halfway through cooking time.

BABY LEEKS AND ASPARAGUS

It will be a couple of years before the asparagus seeds I planted result in any edible spears.  Until then I anticipate the harvest and hope that there are at least a couple of bunches of fresh asparagus left at the market by the time I get there in the morning.  Thankfully today there was, along with some lovely baby leeks.

ROASTED BABY LEEKS AND ASPARAGUS

1 bunch organic baby leeks

1 bunch organic asparagus

2 cloves organic garlic, sliced

2 sprigs of organic fresh thyme

healthy drizzle of organic e.v olive oil

conservative drizzle of organic red wine vinegar

sea salt

organic fresh ground pepper

Method:  Preheat oven to 400*.  Remove the tough ends from the asparagus and put in a large bowl.  Wash the leek and then trim both ends of the leeks and then remove one or two of the tough layers from the outsides.  Bring a small pot of salted water to boil.  When ready, remove the pot from the stove and then immerse leeks in the hot water for 3 minutes to blanch.  Remove from the water and drain very well.  Once drained, add the leek to the pot and sprinkle in the fresh thyme, garlic slices, some sea salt and pepper.  Drizzle with the oil and vinegar.  Toss gently to coat in oil.  Spread the vegetables in one layer in a pan, and pour any remaining marinade from the bowl on top.  Broil in the oven for about 10 minutes, watching carefully that the leeks don't burn.

Print Recipe Here

SPRING SALADS

Weekly trips to the Farmer's Market this time of year always include a stop at the booths laden with fresh salad greens.  Good thing many farmers around here have hoophouses or we'd be in big trouble considering all the snow and cold weather we've been having on the East Coast.  To keep things exciting on the dinner table, I try to make new salad dressings every once in a while.  This creamy, savoury Miso-Tahini Dressing is a definite keeper.

MISO-TAHINI SALAD DRESSING

1/4 cup organic tahini

1/4 cup water

3 Tbsp fresh organic lemon juice

2 Tbsp organic white miso paste

1/2 tsp organic sweet paprika

1 tsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp sea salt

Method:  Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until creamy.

The salad featured in the photos is a mesclun blend with carrot shavings, sunflower seeds, purple sauerkraut, sunflower sprouts, and feta cheese.

EARLY MORNING MUFFINS

Grains are getting a bad rap lately.  Gluten free diets are all the rage.  People are starting to eat like our paleolithic ancestors and either eliminating grains altogether, or reducing their consumption drastically.  Over here we tend to travel the middle path and practice conscious consumption of our most favorite of carbohydrates.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, this also means we tend to prepare our grains in ways that makes them healthier and easier for our bodies to digest.  One of my favorite ways to do this is with sourdough culture.  Every couple of weeks I make a batch of sourdough bread for sandwiches and toast, and I feel better knowing that I am transforming ordinary flour into a more nutritious food - lower glycemic index, less gluten, phytic acid free.  

     The amazing thing is, you can pretty much make everything with sourdough culture - pancakes, crepes, hot cross buns, pizza dough, biscuits, and today's favourite, MUFFINS!  We made a batch of these the other day with blueberries and bananas, so I figured we try it out with apples and cinnamon.  My new favourite muffin recipe.  Adapted from the Cultures for Health recipe.

SOURDOUGH APPLE AND CINNAMON MUFFINS

2 cups organic spelt flour (I used half whole grain, half light)

1/2 cup sourdough culture (can be inactive straight from the fridge)

1 cup organic whole milk, preferably unhomogenized or pasteurized

1/2 cup maple syrup or honey

3/4 tsp sea salt

2 organic eggs, beaten

1/4 cup melted organic coconut oil or butter

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder, aluminum and GMO free

1 organic apple, peeled and diced

1 1/2 tsp organic ground cinnamon

1/2 cup organic walnuts, chopped

Method: The night before you want to bake the muffins, combine the flour, starter and milk until just combined.  Cover and leave on the kitchen counter to ferment for 7-12 hours.  The next morning preheat oven to 425*.  Combine the maple syrup, salt, and eggs in a bowl.  Beat until combined.  Sprinkle cinnamon, baking soda and powder evenly over fermented dough.  Pour in the liquid mixture, apples, and oil and mix well to combine.  The dough may be a bit stretchier than you are used to.  

Once all the ingredients are mixed in well, divide into 12 muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

These muffins store really well and even taste good the next day, unlike some of the muffins I've made.