"Faux" Apple Pie (uses zucchini!) and Sourdough Pie Crust

Did you know that apples are the #1 pesticide containing produce?  For those times when you're craving apple pie but can't afford to buy organic apples, it may sound crazy, but zucchini makes a great substitute!

One year I was looking for recipes to use up all my garden zucchini & I found this recipe for "faux" apple pie that uses zucchini instead of apples.  My husband loves apple pie & couldn't believe it (after he tried it) when I told him I made it using zucchini.  The key is to use lots of spices & the zucchini pick up the flavor of the spices.  My 13 year old loves to take this to school in her lunch, offer samples to her friends, and THEN tell them they just ate zucchini!  I also want to share with you a recipe for sourdough pie crust (since I'm trying to use sourdough in most of my baking now for health reasons).

Sourdough Pie Crust
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup sourdough starter

With a fork, mix together: flour, salt, baking soda.  Cut in the butter or coconut oil.  Add the sourdough starter & mix thoroughly.  Cover & allow to rest on the counter for 6 hours.

Faux Apple (Zucchini) Pie
2 (9 inch) pie crusts
4 cups zucchini: peeled, cored/seeded, & thinly sliced*
3/4 cup unrefined sugar**
2 tablespoons tapioca
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out your pie crusts (if you haven't already) to 9 inch circles. Place the bottom crust inside your pie pan.  Combine the sugar, tapioca, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch together in a large bowl.  Add the zucchini and lemon juice and mix well.  Pour mixture into the pie crust.  Dot with butter.  Place second crust over the top and pinch the edges together to seal.  Cut 4 vents in the top of the crust.  If desired, brush with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 50 minutes, or until top crust is lightly browned.

*This is very important:  make sure you peel & remove the core of your zucchini.  You do not want zucchini seeds in your pie!  Plus, once you've peeled & cored it, then cut each slice in half, you get a nice "C" shape which more resembles cut apples.

**If you want to play with this recipe a little bit, and pump up the apple flavor, you can reduce the sugar & replace the 1/4 cup lemon juice with 1/4 cup apple juice.  Combine apple juice, zucchini, tapioca, & spices & let sit for 15 minutes so the zucchini can "soak up" the flavors.  By the way, I didn't have any lemon juice, or tapioca, when I made the last pie, so I just left both of them out & it was still fine!

Enjoy!
Lisa

This post is a part of:
Pennywise Platter Thursday
Fightback Friday 
Monday Mania 
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Traditional Tuesdays

Hearty Pasta Sauce

We are here in Rwanda now & although we were greeted by a completely bare kitchen (not even a plate or cup) my kitchen is up & running now (although in a minimal state).   We even have an internet connection - though it is painfully sloooow compared to our high speed in the US.

 I would like to share with you a recipe that I have made several times during past trips here.  As far as feeding your family in Rwanda is concerned, anything not grown or produced locally is going to be expensive.  So, if we are buying pasta we are paying about $1.50 per bag.  And pasta sauce in a jar?  Forget it- probably about $5 or $6 per jar!  That will sure give you some motivation to cook from scratch (well, almost scratch, this recipe does use tomato paste which is used in a lot of recipes here).  This sauce recipe is not a “Ragu” type sauce, but more of a hearty tomato- based vegetable sauce that you can use on pasta or pizza.

I originally got the recipe from the cook at the guest house where we've stayed here in the past, and I am not sure what American or European cookbook she may have got the recipe from.  Here's a picture of the veggies and everything all prepped (I didn't have enough tomatoes so I used extra tomato paste):

And, yes I wanted to show you my hand- can you see that it is stained orange from shredding carrots?  Just in case you wanted to know a possible side effect of cooking from scratch!  That pile of green in the foreground is from prepping green beans.  The green beans they have here are in fact "string beans"- and you have to de-string them.  I was prepping quite a bit more than what we needed for one meal, just to save some for later.  I also brought Italian spices from home, because they don't have much of that here either.  This table is a high table, like bar height- but can you see how short my refrigerator is?  And the freezer inside is just a compartment in the top of it, with no door.  All part of the experience!

Hearty Pasta Sauce

1 onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 Tbsp. oil

2 carrots, shredded

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 Tbsp. dried)

4 tsp. Italian seasoning

6 cups tomatoes

6 oz. tomato paste

1 Tbsp. honey

salt & pepper to taste

Saute onion & garlic in oil until soft.  Add carrots, peppers, parsley, & Italian seasoning, stir.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, salt, & pepper.  Simmer for 1 hour.  Serve or freeze.

Enjoy!

Lisa

Quick Creamy Pizza or Pasta Sauce

We had pizza a few different ways this week: we had the sourdough pita pizzas I mentioned earlier this week, but we also had some super thin crust pizza.  I had remembered the last time I made NT's Yogurt Dough I had some left over.  I had actually made it for chicken pot pie and once it was rolled out there was enough dough for 4 crusts.  I only needed two for my pot pies, so the other 2 crusts I rolled out onto parchment paper then rolled them up together, sealed in a plastic bag, and froze.

My son was begging for pizza one morning, so I pulled the "pie crust" out of the freezer & let it thaw on the counter for the first half of the day.  By lunch time we were ready to make some super thin crust pizza!  Pre-bake your crust for a few minutes and then add your toppings.  I didn't have any pizza sauce on hand, so that morning I also pulled out a handful of cherry tomatoes I had thrown in the freezer (yup, just threw them in there right in a freezer bag).

We also had a lot of dried oregano from our CSA, which ended up being the main flavor here.  This turned out differently than your usual pasta sauce (not so red or strong on tomato flavor), but since it was so easy & we enjoyed it, I thought I would share it with you.  Spice it to your taste...

Pizza or Pasta Sauce

cup of cherry tomatoes
Roma tomato (sliced)
couple tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of honey
teaspoon of salt
tablespoon of beef broth
2 tablespoons chopped celery
5 garlic cloves (mine were previously cooked in the BBQ)
onion powder
lots of oregano, basil, rosemary
and dash of pepper

Puree in blender until smooth.  You're done!

Enjoy!
Lisa


This post is a part of Pennywise Platter Thursdays and Fightback Fridays.

Enchilada Salad

This is similar to taco salad, but because it contains cooked corn tortillas, I thought I should call it Enchilada Salad- sure, why not?  This was something I came up with just because when I eat lunch I make it my job to use up whatever needs to get eaten in the fridge!  Yes, someone's gotta do it.  I was pleased enough with this lunch to recreate it several times.  I think it's both satisfying & frugal (since it's meatless- but you could add meat for more flavor and fun).

Enchilada Salad
portions are for serving 1 person
2 Tablespoons broth (or water)
1/4 cup cooked beans (pinto, black)
1/4 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup salsa (or more)
shredded cheese (as much as you like)
1 corn tortilla
mixed salad greens
Ranch style dressing
optional: cumin, cilantro, cooked meat, sour cream, olives, tomatoes, avocado, etc!

Pour broth into small pot and add beans, rice, salsa, shredded cheese.  (Add in meat also if you want.)  Tear tortilla into 1 inch pieces & mix into pot.  If using cilantro and cumin, add a dash of these and stir.  Warm on the stove over medium heat stirring occasionally until mixture is hot, cheese is melted, and tortillas are soft.

Arrange salad greens on plate and drizzle with dressing.  Drop spoonfuls of the warm enchilada mixture evenly over the greens.  Top with any optional ingredients you want, or just dig in!

Enjoy,
Lisa

These posts have been written ahead of time as my family and I are working with a team at an orphanage in Ensenda, Mexico this week.  Please feel free to comment but I will not be able to approve or reply to comments until after July 1st.

Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas

Recently I had a head of cauliflower & I pulled some chickpeas from the freezer because I love cauliflower dipped in hummus!  But then I saw a blog post about roasting cauliflower & I was intrigued.  I also remembered seeing a few posts about roasting chick peas, which I was also curious about.  Come to find out they both cook at the same temperature for the same amount of time, so why not roast them both at the same time?  This would be good for when you want a salty snack...

Roasted Cauliflower (and/or) Chickpeas
1 head cauliflower, stem removed
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or 1 can, drained
4 Tbsp. olive oil
salt, garlic, pepper - to taste

Preheat oven to 450.  Chop cauliflower into small pieces (but not tiny).  Pat chickpeas dry with paper towels.

 

Combine chickpeas, cauliflower, oil and a generous sprinkling of salt, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl.  Stir to combine.  Spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper). 

Since my cookie sheet doesn't have edges I used the cauliflower to keep the chickpeas corralled & from rolling off the edges.

Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes.  Cauliflower will have a "toasted" look when ready.  Do not over bake or the chickpeas will get too dry.

Some of my cauliflower pieces were too big- the smaller ones were better.

I'm going to have some of these roasted chickpeas and cauliflower on top of my salad today too.

Enjoy!

Lisa

P.S. Did you see Wardeh's post about the USDA food pyramid?  So well put!

Please feel free to comment this week, but our family is with a team working at an orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico, so I will not be able to approve or reply to comments until after July 1st.  These posts were written & publishing scheduled ahead of time- just for you! 

Layered Salad

I made a layered salad for a family function this week & thought I should share my recipe with you.  I guess it's salad week here!  I first brought a layered salad to a family get-together several years ago, and ever since that first time it has become the dish I'm asked to bring.  Everyone loves a layered salad- I think because it's like getting a salad bar in a bowl!  Layered salad works best with a large glass bowl.  Don't have one?  You can be creative- what about a punch bowl?  Or how about the top from a cake platter, turned upside down (nested in a bowl of ice)?

When I make layered salad I plan it with two things in mind: one, keeping green layers (lettuce, cucumbers, peas, green onion, etc.) separated by non-green layers (red peppers, carrots, beets, mushrooms, cheese).  This helps each layer stand out (I place some things sideways against the side of bowl so they're more visible), and adds a lot to the visual appeal.  The second thing I think about is keeping moist items (cucumbers, frozen peas) away from dry items (cheese, mushrooms, boiled egg, croutons).

I always put the dressing on the side- if you haven't yet you might want to try my recipe for Ranch Salad Dressing.  I'm going to give you my basic outline for this salad, but it does flex & change depending on what's on hand for produce (use more or less of the ingredients listed, depending on your preference).  Try it out for your next family get together or neighborhood potluck- as long as you don't mind everyone insisting you bring it everytime!

 No picture of my salad- I didn't get a chance to before it was served & then there was nothing left!   So, here is my salad bowl & the salad serving "hands" I have from Alaska.

Layered Salad 
Several hours to a day ahead of time: hard boil 2 to 3 eggs & chill, remove peas from freezer to thaw

4 cups torn salad greens (I usually use green leaf or romaine, but a mix of green & red leaf would look nice)
2 to 3 carrots, sliced extremely thin or shredded
1 to 2 cups frozen peas, thawed, or fresh
3 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 cucumber, sliced & quartered
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 cup sliced beets
1 to 2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 green onions, sliced
4 to 8 ounces cooked turkey, chicken, or ham, sliced into thin strips
2 or 3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1 to 2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup seasoned croutons

In a large glass bowl, layer ingredients (in order listed is suggested).

Enjoy!
Lisa

P.S.  If you forget to thaw the peas ahead of time place them in a colander and run warm water over them.

This post is a part of Real Food Wednesdays and Fight Back Fridays.

Tuesday Twister Taco Salad

This post is a part of Tuesday Twister at GNOWFGLINS.

Today I am going to share with you a quick and easy dinner.  Salad meals are great for light summer dinners and a great way of getting everyone to eat more greens.  It's also very frugal when you use greens as the base &  the meat as a "garnish" (stretched even farther by using beans too).  For this recipe I used up some leftover meats: chicken pulled from the bones after making bone broth, and meat pulled from a couple of ribs left from dinner the other night.  I combined them with the salsa 24 hours ahead of time to really get the flavor in there.
For tortillas I'm trying out Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Tortillas (since I'm not making tortillas anymore)!  They worked good for this recipe at least!

Taco Salad
2 tortillas (for 4 people)
olive oil
salt
mixed salad greens, spinach, snow peas, etc.
shredded cheese
1 c. meat
1 c. beans (pinto)
1/2  c. salsa
green onions
salad dressing
optional: tomatoes (we don't eat them), avocado, olives, etc.

Pre-heat oven (or toaster oven) to 425 (or broil).  Coat tortillas lightly with olive oil & sprinkle with salt.  Cut or tear into strips & place on cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes (less if broiling)- check & pull out once they are browned & crisp.  Cool.

Place meat, beans and salsa (if not already combined) in a pot and warm on the stove, stir occasionally.  Arrange greens on plates.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Drop hot meat by spoonfuls onto the cheese (to lightly melt it).  Lightly spoon salad dressing all over the salad.  Snip green onions on top, and any optional ingredients.  Take cooled tortillas & crumble all over the salads.

Hope you enjoy!
Lisa

Loving Our Greens!

This post is a part of Real Food Wednesdays and Pennywise Platter Thursdays.

I told you yesterday how I tried and failed with rainbow chard, now let me share with you some great ways of getting your green on using kale and spinach!

I had read about Kale Chips and I thought, "My family would never even go near something like that."  However, my daughter is on an eating plan right now that requires two meals a day to have at least two servings of green vegetables.  After burning out on the usual suspects, it was time to venture into new territory.  When I told my daughter what I was making she said, "NO!  Don't make kale!  I hate kale!"  After I assured her that she didn't have to like it, she just had to be open minded and try it, she calmed down.  And when she actually did try it, she loved it.  She now asks for kale chips everyday!  The taste is similar to popcorn or if you use spinach I think it tastes like pumpkin seeds.  If you use spinach and kale both, do them in different batches or use separate trays because of the different cooking times.

Kale (or Spinach) Chips
1 bunch kale (or spinach) I use a half a bunch each time
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt

Pre-heat oven to 350.  You're going to need to de-vein the kale: just run a sharp knife along either side of the main stem & remove.  Tear the leaves into bite size pieces (about 2" square or smaller) and place in colander (or salad spinner) to wash.

Wash & dry kale, then place in single layer on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  I used a kitchen oil spritzer to evenly distribute oil on the kale (mine is from Pampered Chef but you can find similar items here or here on Amazon).  I took about a teaspoon of sea salt in my hand and rubbed my hands together all over the kale to evenly salt it.

Place in the oven and bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until crisp (if using spinach you will need to cook it for closer to 15 minutes).  Watch carefully when it's getting close to time- burnt ones don't taste good!

Eat them up!  (about 2 - 4 servings depending on if you eat them like I do or my daughter does!)

My parchment paper is a little dark because I was reusing a sheet I had made something else on previously (cookies I believe).  Here is a great tip for you: because I used half of the bunch of kale, I saved the parchment paper & reused it the next day to make the second batch with the other half of the kale.  Now, wait- don't throw the paper away yet!  Make yourself a batch of Sourdough Cracker dough and roll it right out onto the parchment paper.  You see, after a couple of batches the paper has the perfect amount of extra oil & salt on it for your crackers.  I wanted to use up more of my spinach (I had several bunches) so before I rolled it out I tore some spinach into pieces & incorporated it into the dough.

If you were making these for your family you would probably want to chop it a little more finely- but these were for me & I didn't mind (plus I'm lazy- ha!).  Bake as normal- the crackers are salted from underneath!  These were great!

I didn't stop there though.  Last time I had a bag of basil I had more than I was ready to use then, so I measured out the amount of leaves needed for a batch of Spinach Basil Pesto and put it in bags right into the freezer.  I was ready to make pesto this week so a day or two earlier I got a bag of basil out of the freezer to thaw & then put those leaves right into the food processor.  They don't look pretty then, but once everything mixes together you can't tell anything is different.  I didn't have any pine nuts for my pesto, so I decided to use pecan pieces instead.  I may do that from now on- have you seen how expensive pine nuts are?  Wow!

Those spinach crackers taste awesome dipped in Spinach Basil Pesto- yum!  Now I'm really getting my green on- but wait, I'm not done yet!  (It's fun to sound like an infomercial sometimes...)

Don't forget about throwing a few fresh spinach leaves into your smoothies.  If you've got some spinach or kale that is about to go bad you can do this: lightly steam them, while still hot put them in the blender along with a few tablespoons of coconut oil (the heat from the leaves melts the oil) and a little bit of milk just to help things move around.

Puree until smooth, pour into an ice cube tray, and place in the freezer.  Once they're frozen solid you can put them in a bag in the freezer.  Throw one or two into your smoothies for a boost of healthy greens & healthy fat too!

OK, whew!  Now I'm done!  Did I wear you out too?

Have some fun with greens this week!
Enjoy!
Lisa

P.S.  Do you know about the US Wellness Meats Giveaway at Nourishing Days blog?  You can enter for a chance to win an $85 gift certificate- yeah & yum!