Grow. Cook. Eat: March 2009

image via www. ayushveda.com

this morning i am going to be making ghee for the very first time. i learned how to make it a couple weeks ago when i attended an ayurveda workshop here. it's the yummiest thing ever! you can use it for EVERYTHING (even for a massage oil!), and it's been around for thousands of years. below is a little excerpt from a recent yoga journal article.

Ghee, or clarified butter, is a simple, powerful tonic used to nourish and heal the body.

It is difficult for most Americans to believe that a little fat in their diets can be healthy, let alone be considered good medicine. In Ayurveda, however, pure clarified butter, known as ghee, is one of the most powerful tonics. It is used to heal wounds, improve digestion, fight free radicals, and boost the immune system. Ghee is also believed to enhance one's ojas, or "life energy."

see the rest of the article here.

The best part is, is that it is VERY SIMPLE to make. The bummer part is that I couldn't just write the instructions down. Making it requires listening, watching, and smelling. If you're ever around and want to make some, I'd be happy to show you! Or, for now, you could get an idea by watching this video here.

I finally have some time to cook as well as having access to my own kitchen, appliances, and ingredients! Hip, hip hooray!

lunch

I've been eating homemade hummus, avacados, and cucumbers on a toasted tortilla. Here's the hummus recipe:

lemon cilantro hummus

1 16 oz. can of organic garbanzo beans

3-5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 Tbsp tahini (a sesame seed paste)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp salt

2Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cilantro

blend all ingredients together in a blender OR mash it all up by hand (I prefer the latter-it gives it a thicker consistancy).

Maybe I ate one of those cupcakes in the background after I ate my lunch!

I'm back to making my almond milk.

almond milk

1 cup raw almonds

4 cups water (+ more for soaking almonds)

1/4 cup agave nectar or honey

1 drop almond extract (optional)

soak the almonds for 4 hours or overnight in some water.

once soaked, drain the water out of the bowl of almonds.

mix almonds in a blender with 4 cups of water.

strain the almond bits out by using wire mesh strainer or a cheesecloth.

put the "milk" back into the blender and add the agave nectar and almond extract. mix. store in refrigerator. keeps for 1 week.

real milk!

happy to be back in Sacramento where i can get straus dairy products. their cows are able to roam freely about eating grass near the coast...and they get massages! happy to be having milk, butter, and yogurt that is so tasty and happy!

cupcakes!

chocolate-chocolate cupcakes

(the best part about these is the batter...it's so light and fluffy!)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

for the glaze:

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp confectioner's sugar, sifted

3 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Working with stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes.

Add the egg, then the yolk. beating for 1 minute after each addition.

Beat in the vanilla, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear.

Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients.

Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix it in with a rubber spatula. Divide evenly among muffin molds.

Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350 degrees.

for the glaze:

melt the chocolate in heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

then transfer bowl to counter and let stand 5 minutes.

Use a whisk to stir the sugar into the chocolate, followed by the cold butter.

boxties!

a traditional Irish dish.

boxty pancakes

Ingredients
8 ounces (225 grams) freshly cooked potatoes
8 ounces (225 grams) peeled raw potatoes
8 ounces (225 grams/ generous 1 1/2 cups) white flour
1/4 American teaspoon baking powder (1/2 Irish teaspoon bread soda), sifted *see note
8 to 12 fluid ounces (225 to 300 millileters/1 to 1 1/2 cups) buttermilk
Pinch salt (optional)
Butter, for frying
*Note: an Irish tablespoon is the same quantity as an American tablespoon plus a teaspoon
Directions
Peel the cooked potatoes while they are still hot, drop into a bowl and mash immediately. Grate the raw potatoes, add to the mashed potatoes with the flour and sifted bread soda. Mix well, and add enough buttermilk to make a stiff batter.
Heat a frying pan, grease with butter and cook large or small pancakes in the usual way. Eat them straight from the pan with butter, crispy rashers or pure Irish honey.

delicious sugar cookies!