Fast Food Fix the Slow Food Way: Curly Fries

I stopped eating fast food 20 years ago (that's right, drive thru's are not a part of my life), but I still get a hankerin' for some Curly Fries, so what's a gal to do?

I make them at home!  But using all organic materials, healthy fat:  extra-virgin olive oil, Himalayan sea salt, and this spice blend (all powders):

Cayenne 1 part
Onion 1 part
Garlic 1 part
Salt 2 parts
Turmeric 2 parts
Paprika 8 parts
Starch 24 parts

By parts, I mean any unit of measurement you choose.  If you choose teaspoons, you will have a total of 39 teaspoons of spice blend, or 13 Tablespoons since there are 3 teaspoons in a Tablespoon.  If you'd like more finished product than this, then enlarge your part, maybe a Tablespoon, or if you want to make a whole lot, maybe a 1/4 c.  You choose.  And you can eyeball the measuring if you wish, or add another spice you'd like to include...no rules.  This is kitchen alchemy not rocket science.  ;)

I like to make up more than I will use at once and keep it in a jar so it's ready to go for the next time.  Being an Herbalist I buy my spices by the pound as many I also utilize medicinally, and I simply use them often and in large quantities in my cooking.  :)

The starch can be any type, I have used Tapioca or a non-GMO corn starch.  This acts as a carrier and also provides a "coating" like "crust" on the fries.

I use a Spiralizer (also works great for all those Zucchini - I make Zucchini pasta - anyone who grows them knows what I mean), but you could just cut strips by hand.  Coat the cut potatoes and the baking sheet with olive oil (I just pour some on and use my hands to mix it all up), sprinkle with salt and the spice blend to taste and bake 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, turning at least once to get them evenly crispy.

Enjoy this healthy snack!  or even make it a meal - top with avocado and mix with some steamed Kale. 

I like to make a lot at a time and have leftovers; they're great on soup or in an omelette for instance...

Medicinal Pastry! with Quince, Apple, Warming Spices and other Fruits

Can you say "Bliss"?

This dessert definitely counts as culinary magic.  It begins with the scent of Quince, which I find truly rapturous; it is best described as floral, sweet, and tart.  But, the description does not do it justice.  Do find some and see for yourself.  I gleaned these and the apples from the landscape; both just falling to the ground unused by the property owners (a benefit of landscaping for a living) - and we couldn't let this goodness go to waste could we?  'Course the wild animals were sure to indulge too; every apple was taken by someone before the leaves fell from the tree.  :)

The perfection of imperfect fruit.

Back to the scent of ripe Quince...  it is one of my favorite scents in all the world.  I have the scraps sitting in a pot of water on the woodstove to extract every last bit of their olfactory goodness.  It's so good I could just sit and smell the fruit for an hour; it's actually hard to stop smelling it.  I am in bliss with the scent wafting through the house as I fix this dessert.  THIS is what artificial air fresheners attempt to duplicate (but fail).  Nothing like the real thing!  Same could be said for clothing drying on the line and getting rained on and having to stay longer outside to dry.  THAT is the *real* "rain fresh" scent - and it. is. divine.  But I digress...

Quince:  the fruit with the addictive scent.  You can forage these seasonal delights in the landscape, grow them yourself, or occasionally find them at specialty stores or farmer's markets.  Ripe in early Fall.

To make this scrumptious dessert, first make Quince jam and pastry dough.  These two items can be made a day ahead of time (or more for the Quince) if desired.

There are lots of recipes for pastry dough online, so I won't repeat one here.  I used this one and quadrupled it.  Another option would be to only double the pastry dough recipe and then half the apple filling recipe below.  I like to make large amounts of things when I cook and bake because I love leftovers and I figure once you have everything out, it's much more efficient to make large amounts.  You can always freeze some for later if you won't eat it all soon - or gift some! 

Herbal Magic Brewing:  note the tiny Vanilla Orchid seeds.

To make Quince jam:
Use about 8-12 Quince depending on size; about 3/4 c. brown sugar; one Vanilla bean pod, split open; and about 7 cups of water.  Scrub, peel, and de-core the Quince, slice and mix with other items in a pot and bring to a boil.  Keep the lid on to keep the volatile oils inside, and hence in your dessert, or leave it off to release more to the house.  It's a tough decision.  I left mine off.  Turn down to simmer for about two hours then strain out the Quince puree while it's still hot.  Quince is high in pectin naturally, so it will set up as it cools.

You can keep it simple as Vanilla and Quince alone are delightful, or add some additional spices and fruits for health and flavor.  I used 8 Clove buds, 3 Cardamom pods, 8 Jujube dates, and 16 Longan berries.  Some other great additions would be Goldenberries, Mulberries, Goji berries, Ginger, ...  We will use Nutmeg and Cinnamon in with the Apples later, but you could add more here too.

Besides the sheer delight in the smell of the Quince and spices brewing, and then the pastry baking - we know what that does for the mood!, and emotions affect the body (and vice versa) - this pastry warms the middle, or to put it another way, supports digestion.  This is especially important this time of year as the seasons turn colder or more Yin.  We need to keep our Yang digestive fires going until the Yang of Spring arrives.  See the links above on each of the fruits and spices for more information on their medicinal qualities.  You will see they can help with warming up cold joints and extremities too, amongst other things...






Once you have your Quince jam and pastry dough made, it's time to make the Apple Pastry itself...
Start by grating about 8 Apples.  I used foraged apples so there was rot and other areas I discarded, so I ended up using about a dozen apples to equal 8. 
Preheat the oven 400 degrees.

I like to leave the skins on, even with the "blemishes" that feral fruit will have.  It's good for you!

Mix your grated apple with :
1 1/2 c. Quince jam (or substitute any jam if you wish) - this is about half what we made earlier
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. raisins
2 eggs
1 Tbspn. Cinnamon
1/2 tspn. Nutmeg 
You could also add a cup of chopped nuts; Walnuts or Pecans would be great.
(This apple filling recipe will make enough filling for 4 of the pastry dough recipes linked above.)

I ended up not using any milk, but I did throw in half a jar of Hawthorn extract.  Mix it up! 

Take your dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface, cover it with filling and roll up into a log.  Be sure to leave the outer edge uncovered so you can get your dough to adhere to itself.  I made mine into one super large roll but it was hard to deal with so would recommend halfing our quartering the dough and making several.  Next time that is what I'll do.  ;)  Other options would be to just do a tart (not roll it up), or to make individual serving pastries...

Bake for 60 mins. if you make one large roll; if you do 2 rolls or 4 rolls instead; it will take much less time.  I'd say around 30-45 minutes; bake it until it is well browned.  A tart would probably only take 30 min. and individual pastries might only take 20-30 min. 
One thing about 'kitchen alchemy rules' is that there are no rules! 

You will notice I often say "about" on the amounts in a recipe I share.  This is because I often don't measure and I don't think cooking and baking are exact sciences.  Others might disagree, but I like the play of spontaneity and chance in my kitchen alchemy.  Plus it's hard to go wrong with these ingredients!  Take notes and tweak future batches as you see fit.  I have probably never followed a recipe exactly and usually just cook from scratch.  I note my successes so I can repeat them, but again, rarely make them exactly the same the next time. 
Allow your cooking and baking.  Learn the basics and then branch out and experiment... 
Life itself is ever-changing and vitality is to be found in that interplay.  Rigidity creates stagnation, even in the simple everyday things like fixing food.  Allow, go with the flow, and explore new things... let your regimentation come only from the foundation of health you have set:  like sitting at the table to eat, not looking at any screens during mealtime, chewing thoroughly - BE with your food, your meal, your body. 
Joy is in the little things, like preparing and eating real food.  :)

"Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, 

not because they never found it, 

but because they didn’t stop to join it."

 - William Feather

Persimmon Pie with Autumn-Olive Berries

This pie is not overly sweet, increase the sugar if that is your desire.

Satisfying and seasonal, like a pumpkin pie, but with a flavor twist - and one you cannot get from the store, but from the wild...

Nature's Bounty - and a taste delight.

De-seed the Persimmon by hand, or with a food mill.  Then compost the seeds or toss out for the critters.

Autumn-Olive berries are optional; you can leave them out if you don't have access to them.

To make one pie:
Preheat 375 degrees.

Place approximately 1 1/2 c. of Autumn-Olive berries in pre-made pie shell
(buy pre-made pie shells, or make your own; there are lots or recipes for this online).

Mix approximately 1 1/2 c. de-seeded Persimmon flesh,
2 Tbsn. melted butter or coconut oil for dairy free option
1/2 c. raw cane sugar
2 Tbsn. whole wheat flour or other for gluten free option
1/2 c. hemp (or other) milk
3 eggs
1 tspn. vanilla 
Once thoroughly blended, pour in shell and level with spatula and bake.

Spread into pie crust and bake 45-55 minutes.

Whip cream topping is optional; if you want this, just use organic heavy whipping cream and beat it until fluffy, then apply and eat.

I like to double the recipe when I can to double the results of my efforts.  Enjoy!

Foraged Fruit Blondies: Persimmon, Autumn-Olive, and Dogwood (Cornelian Cherry) this time.

Autumn Olives

These spectacularly delicious, moist and chewy bars can be made with whatever foraged fruit you can get... or if foraging is not an option at the moment, maybe your local farmer's market will provide.  Utilizing foraged fruit will give you a seasonal taste delight that cannot be had at the grocery store.  Delight your taste buds!  Delight your guests!

Persimmons are just beginning to ripen here in Virginia mid-October.  I expect more and sweeter ones after the first frost this weekend.  I only remove the seeds and the hard calyx at the top of each fruit.  I do not concern myself with the sometimes tough skin, I eat it.  Good for you!

The recipe has many options that you can customize depending on what's at hand.  Maybe you have access to some foraged nuts or seeds at the moment, or just made some acorn flour? 
Experiment, let this be a guide...

I removed the seeds from the Persimmon and Cornelian Cherry.  Then I pureed these with the first set of ingredients.

Preheat 350 degrees.

1 c. coconut oil, melted
1-2 c. sugar - The amount will depend on how much you want this like a dessert and how tart the fruit is that you are using.  For the current recipe I used the full 2 cups because the Cornelian Cherry is very tart and I am aiming for a dessert.
2 tspn. vanilla
2 eggs
approximately 3 cups of fruit - This can be most any type of fresh or dried fruit in any combination.  You want to blend in any soft fruit with the above ingredients, saving any whole fruit you don't want crushed to fold in at the end with the seeds/nuts.  In this batch I blended the Persimmon and Cornelian Cherry and folded in the Autumn-Olives.  If using only dried fruit, use less quantity.  If using a very wet fruit, you may need to cut quantity and add flour.

After blending together above ingredients, add:
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour (or other flour of your choice)
1/2 tspn. salt
After mixing this, fold in any reserved fruit from above and
1 1/2 c. of nuts and/or seeds - For this batch I used 1c. crushed Pecans and 1/2c. Hemp seeds.

As you can see, I do not bother to remove the Autumn Olive stems, they are soft enough to chew.

Spread into an oiled baking dish about 9" x 12", bake for about an hour, until well browned all over.
These bars are moist and chewy with all the fruity goodness included.
Rich and satisfying.  Enjoy!

These bars are high in fiber, don't let that scare you.  Just chew what you can and swallow it - good for your digestive system and microbiome.

Your local, abundant, and free SuperFood!

 Enjoy your seasonal taste treat!

Herbals Truffles - a.k.a. Little Balls of Utter Bliss!

These de-stressing herbal treats move Liver Qi, help digestion,
are high in antioxidants, and are adaptogenic.

Have one as needed, share them with guests, make them as gifts...they taste out of this world.

These are made with Rosebud, Tulsi, Ashwaganda, Tangerine Peel, Cardamom, and Ginger.

So, I am bad about actually using or writing down recipes when I create food and herbal remedies.  With these herbal truffles, I usually just mix ingredients until I feel satisfied with the combination and texture.  This time I did this with my apprentices and made it a point to create a recipe with measured amounts.   That said, please feel free to deviate.

You can start simply with alternating a different nut, or using nut butter, or altering the herbs used.  Just making these seemingly simple changes though can change the consistency and you want them to stick together.  So if needed, add more coconut oil, maybe a little honey if you need its stickiness, or maybe use another fat that will be firm at cold temperatures such as cocoa butter.  If you need it more wet, you could even add some avocado or coconut milk.  Experiment.  If need be start with this exact recipe until you feel comfortable with it, then deviate...

These have no added sugar; dates and raisins were used for sweetness.  These balls have some bitterness, but those of us who enjoy straight tea, black coffee, hoppy beer, or dark chocolate won't mind.  You could try other fruits...I do find dates to be the sweetest and raisins to be nice and gummy adding a good texture.

If you try an experimental batch that you can't seem to get right to roll into balls, add a bit of whole grain flour and a few eggs and bake it.  It's hard to go wrong with these ingredients.

Keep refrigerated.



Here's what to use and how to make the balls pictured above:
Grind all your Herbs and Cacao into powder (or buy them already powdered) before mixing them;
I use a coffee grinder that is not used for coffee. (until I can get one of these that is ....someday) 
Bear in mind that powdered herbs do not last anywhere near as long as whole or cut & sifted ones.
I try not to buy my herbs powdered for this reason, unless I will use them right away, and also because I don't care for the sludge in the bottom of my decoctions.

Mix all dry ingredients together (all ground)
1/2 c. Mei Gui Hua, Rosebuds
1/2 c. Chen Pi, Tangerine peel (you can make your own and can use other organic citrus if you wish)
1/4 c. Ashwaganda
1/2 c. Tulsi
1 Tb. Cardamom
1 ts. Ginger
1 c. raw Cacao
pinch sea salt

Blend "wet" ingredients
6 Dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 c. Raisins
2 Tb. Coconut oil, melted
1/2 tspn. Vanilla
2 c. Walnuts
optional:  about 5 drops of a flower essence, these included Bee Balm.

Then stir or blend both together; it will be dry but should form a sticky ball with pressure once mixed.  You can add a little water for moisture if you need to, but these did not have any added.

On the side mix 1/4 c. ea. Hemp seeds and ground Cacao
After pressing into to ball, roll the ball into this coating.




These balls are more herb than food; for a ball more food than herb, see this recipe.

~~~

Barberry Chutney: Using a Wild Edible You Can Find in the Winter

Barberry - Berberis vulgaris or thunbergii:  a wild edible that is a non-native invasive -
so you get the added bonus of removing the seeds from the wild that way it doesn't spread so voraciously.
Also, it's common, hence easy to find, either growing wild or in the landscape.
I notice that the birds and other creatures aren't too fond of these berries and they will often persist throughout the winter.

As you can see, the berries are easy to spot; they stand out in the stark landscape of winter.

Harvesting the berries can be a pain because of the thorns, but if you take your time and keep awareness you can do it.  Take it as a Zen moment in which you can be calm and present.

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbspn. sea salt
1/2 Tbspn. grated ginger
1/4 c. sugar (be sure to get organic or non-GMO as most sugar in this country is
                       from genetically modified sugar beets).
2 garlic cloves
juice of one lemon (or equivalent)
1/8 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. grated onion
1/4 c. raisins
1 tspn. coriander
1/4 tspn. cayenne
1/4 c. fresh barberries

Coriander from the garden... did you know Cilantro seeds are Coriander?  Cilantro bolts so easily, what a benefit that you can then enjoy the flowers, along with the butterflies, then let it go to seed and have Coriander!

Mix all together and cook on low to medium, stirring and watching it until thick.  It doesn't take long.  Don't overdo it and make it too thick and be careful not to burn it; it'll burn easily with the sugar.

This lasts a long time in the fridge.  Use it as a compliment to meats, a topping for flat breads, or as a flavoring agents in soups or grain dishes.

 I like to put it on Pakora; here's one variety:

Look at all wonderful Turmeric color!  When you see that you know you have a potent anti-inflammatory dish!

Ingredients:
2 c. garbonzo bean flour
1 Tbspn. ea. cumin and turmeric
1 tspn. salt
dash cayenne

Mix these together, then add 2- 2 1/2 c. broth until no lumps remain, then add

2 c. finely chopped cauliflower
2 c. diced purple onion
bunch chopped Cilantro

preheated 450 degrees

Oil baking sheet, spoon mixture onto sheet, bake for 15 minutes, flipping mid-way through.  You could also fry these in oil if you wanted to...

I love to add Cilantro to dishes as it helps to remove heavy metals (such as mercury and lead) from the body through chelation.

Millet Polenta/Porridge

Millet is considered the most easily digested grain, the one least likely to cause allergy issues, and is inexpensive when bought in bulk, so it's a great one to add to your kitchen repertoire.

Polenta is usually made with corn, and while it tastes great, corn can be an allergen for some and if it isn't for you, well, this is another flavor option - good too for those who are gluten-free.

Also, most corn (if not organic or certified non-GMO) is genetically modified in this country -

and who wants THAT. 

Usually when cooking millet, you use about 2 - 21/4 c. of water per cup of grain and about a tablespoon of fat (like ghee or olive oil) so it doesn't stick together, but for making polenta with millet, you use about 
3 1/3 cups of water and no fat.

Usually you don't stir it, but cook it with a lid like rice, but for polenta you want to stir every few minutes,  just like you would with regular polenta or a creamy grain porridge.

Optional:  before beginning to cook the polenta, you can toast it in a dry skillet to bring out the nutty flavor.

Be careful not to burn it like I did here.  I have multi-tasker's dis-ease.

.

I like to use a large cast-iron skillet for this.  I doubled the recipe, using 2 cups of millet and a 12" skillet. 

Add the polenta and water together with salt to taste (a large pinch), bring to a boil, and simmer for about 20-30 minutes, basically until the water is mostly cooked out.

I find that this does not stick together in slabs when you slice it like corn polenta, so I just let it fall apart.

Here I have mixed it with some of the summer garden's bounty, avocado, and hemp seeds.
Love the texture of the Millet Polenta; it's soft but still has substance.

Voila!  This can be served with anything, sweet or savory, such as ghee and maple syrup or a mix of nuts, seeds, and grilled onions, etc.  Or add a sauce or use as a simple side dish.

Easy Krispy Kale

A healthy delicious snack for you!

Pour a couple tblspns of olive oil on a baking sheet 

and spread it around using the leafy side of each piece of Kale.

Once oil is all over the sheet and the leafy sides of your Kale, 

place all the Kale stem-side-down on the sheet.

Top with Herbamare and garlic powder, if you don't have Herbamare, you can use salt, 

cook about 15 min. until browned.

 

I use the low broil setting and place the sheet on the bottom oven rack.

Try not to overlap the Kale, but squeeze it in side by side so all of the leafy parts are exposed to the heat.

Can be eaten hot or cold; it's most crispy when hot, but works well in lunches or on sandwiches.

Try different spices as a topping to change the flavor, 

such as nutritional yeast (after baking), curry, italian seasoning, etc.

Power Balls!

Let's call these power balls because they are loaded with energy.  Their handy carrying and eating size make them great for on the go:  hiking, snacking or lunch at work - and as an appetizer or party food.

1. Mix 1 c. ea. of Dates (about 8-9 dates) - make sure to pit them!
                           Your choice of nuts (a single type or mixed, roasted or raw)
                           Your choice of dried fruit (again a single type or mixed)

2. Blend together in food processor until desired consistency is reached.  This will vary depending on your choice of ingredients.  Also, you can choose to leave it chunky or make it more smooth.  The dates are what help to hold it all together.  Just make sure it is a consistency that will hold together when rolled into a ball.  I have never needed to, but if you feel you need to, feel free to add nut butters or coconut oil to them to moisten them - though not too much else they won't hold together.

3. Roll into balls about 1" - 1 1/2" in diameter.  Makes about 15-25 balls depending on size.

4. Dip in your choice of coating: ground nuts, Cocoa, Cinnamon, Coconut, Cacao nibs, etc.  Just use something in small pieces or powdered.   Optional:  to this you can add powdered herbs such as Ashwaganda, Eleuthro, Cardamom, ...  Use about 2 tspn. of herbs per batch in about 2-3 Tbspn. of coating.  You will need less coating if it is all powder, more if it is a bit chunkier like Coconut.

***If you do add herbs you want to limit your daily consumption to half a batch.***

Rule #1 in Kitchen Alchemy:  Experiment!

Today I am making two types:  Cashew Cranberry Date rolled in Coconut and powdered Gardenia fruit
                                                Walnut Raisin Date rolled in Cocoa and powdered Astragalus root

I chose Gardenia because it is cooling and we will be taking these hiking on an 80 something degree day.
I chose Astragalus to boost our immune systems.  (You don't want to take Astragalus if you have an acute    infection as it can boost the pathogen).  There's more to these herbs than this; if you want to know more, click on the links.

Any leftover powder can be saved and used in oatmeal, or pancakes, or...

Rule #2 in Kitchen Alchemy:  Never waste food.  Always find a use for leftovers.

5. Keep refrigerated (or frozen for longer storage), but it's best for digestion to eat these at room temperature.  If you freeze them they will carry well on a hot day (in a back pack for instance).

As you can see some of those rolled in Coconut on the right are lighter than others; this is because I noticed part of the way through that I was going to run out of coating, so I added more Coconut to the Gardenia powder, making for a lighter coating.  Play with this recipe; there are not hard and fast rules here.  

Rule #3 in Kitchen Alchemy:  Be ready to improvise at all times.  Cooking and Baking are improvisational acts.

I saved the empty bags and containers the nuts and dried fruit came in to store the balls in - along with the wax paper used to lay them out and cool them.

Now!  Time to enjoy.  Share with us your favorite combinations... 

Rule #4 in Kitchen Alchemy:  Enjoy the fruits of your labor.  Sit quietly without distractions and BE with your food.