Cucumber Dill Chips

Cucumber Dill Chips 3

These are just as good as regular bagged chips in my opinion!  They are full of flavor and so easy to make!  You just have to be willing to wait for a day while they dry in a dehydrator before eating them!

Recipe

5 lbs. fresh cucumbers, sliced

Olive oil

Fresh dill, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Cucumber Dill Chips 1

In a large bowl mix together the cucumbers, fresh dill, olive oil (just enough to coat the cucumbers) and sea salt and pepper to taste.

Cucumber Dill Chips 2

Place the cucumbers on trays of a dehydrator evenly so that none are overlapping.  Dry with the setting on between 135` and 140`.  Check after 12 hours and then every 4-6 after that until they are crisp and done.  Enjoy!

 

Grilled Flat Bread with Herb Oil

Naan with herb oil

This recipe will be sure to wow any party guest and family!  These can be made big or small and they go well with everything from soup, salad and grilled veggies and chicken!  The herb oil can be made and stored for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.  Below I have posted 2 different kinds of bread recipes.  The first is a naan (Indian flat bread) and the other is more of a pizza dough.  Try both!  You won’t be disappointed!

Homemade Herb Oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon
1/8 cup chopped fresh thyme
1 cup olive oil
Blend all ingredients in a blender.  Makes 1 3/4 cups oil.
Naan (recipe from “Spilling the Beans”)
1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup rinsed and drained canned white beans
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
3 cups of your choice flour, extra if needed.  I used half spelt, half all purpose flour.
1/2 tsp salt
In a small bowl mix together the water, yeast and sugar.  Let stand until bubbly for a few minutes.
In the bowl of a food processor, puree the beans with yogurt, oil and egg; add the yeast mixture.  Stir in the flour and salt until a sticky dough forms.  Add more flour turning the dough out onto a floured surface kneading until the dough is elastic and smooth.  Cover with a tea towel and let rise until double in size.  1-2 hours.
Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces.  On an oiled surface, roll out each piece into an oval.  Set a heavy skillet over high heat and drizzle oil on the pan.  Cook one naan at a time until golden blistered on bottom and top.  Spread herb oil on dough after it has cooked.  Lightly salt with Kosher salt and pepper.  Keep warm in a 250` oven until ready to serve.
Pizza Dough (Flat Bread)
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/8 tsp dry active yeast
1/2 tsp honey
1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cup flour of your choice
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp room temp water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Make a Sponge:
in a small bowl, mix together warm water, yeast ans honey until yeast is dissolved.  Stir in 1/4 cup flour until smooth; set aside 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.
Make the Dough:
In an electric bowl fitted with a dough hook, combine sponge, 1 cup flour, milk, room temp water, olive oil and salt.  mix on medium speed to form a sticky dough.  Add additional flour, little a ta time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (Dough should be very soft).  Reduce to a low setting and knead for 10 minutes.  Cover with plastic and let rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Divide dough in half and roll out onto an oiled surface, making 2 large oval shapes.  Grill on a heavy skillet or outside on the BBQ grill.  Brush herb oil on fully cooked dough and cut into triangular shapes.  Lightly salt with Kosher salt and pepper.

 

Growing and Using Herbs: Sage

Sage Plant

Sage is one of those safe and simple herbs to use and grow!  For years I only used it with Thanksgiving Turkey and stuffing and although the herb is the essence of fall to me I recently learned there a lot more purposes to this wonderful herb!  Sage tea has been known to help “dry” up mother’s milk for weening babies.  It has been used for many years to calm and soothe a sore throat and even help with hot flashes!

Growing Sage

Sage is very easy to grow in zones 4-8.  It loves full sun, well draining soil and hot conditions, so it does well here in Utah.  It’s best to get starts from your local nursery or propagate from root division.  Older plants can get woody and leggy, just cut back the old growth in the spring before the new growth comes out.

Using Sage

Outside of using sage on poultry, we can also use it for medicinal purposes too.  Here are a few of my favorite recipes to aid your family during the cold and flu season.

Sage Throat Spray or Gargle

Ingredients to make Sore Throat Spray or Gargle

This throat spray is very simple to make.  Harvest about 1 cup fresh sage leaves.  Place in bowl and pour 1 cup boiling hot water over the top of the leaves.  Cover with a plate to keep the essential oils inside.   Let steep for 30 minutes.

 

Strained Fresh Sage Tea

Strain the sage tea into another bowl and add the following:

1-2 tablespoons raw honey

1-2 tablespoons echinacea tincture (optional, but does extend the shelf life)

1-2 drops peppermint essential oil

 

Sage Throat Spray or Gargle 2

Pour into a clean glass jar through a funnel.

 

Sage Throat Spray or Gargle

Label the spray/gargle and use as needed.  Store in refrigerator.

 

Homemade Cough Syrup

Fresh Herbs for Sore Throat Spray or Gargle

In a large pot place 4 ounces each fresh sage, thyme and horehound (optional, but strongly recommended).  If using dried herbs, use half the amount.  Pour 12 cups water over the herbs and simmer low for a few hours until the water has decreased to 6 cups and you have made a very strong tea.  (this recipe can be made in smaller batches too.)

 

Horehound, Sage and Thyme Tea

The herbs have been cooked down to half and a strong tea remains.   Strain through cheese cloth or muslin and add 3 cups raw honey.

 

Sage, thyme and Horehound Cough Syrup

This recipe made about 8 (12 ounce) bottles of cough syrup.  To make the syrup stronger I also added 1 T. echinacea tincture and 1 drop OnGuard essential oil to each bottle.  This will keep the syrup for a longer period of time and increase its effectiveness.  Keep in fridge and take 1 teaspoon every few hours until cough or cold subsides.

 

 

Homemade Croutons

Homemade Croutons

Who needs store bought croutons when you can make your own and make it so much better!  This recipe is so simple and can be made ahead for up to a week!

Recipe

1 loaf sourdough bread chopped into 2-inch pieces

olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Place the chopped sourdough pieces onto a jelly roll pan evenly so none are overlapping.  Drizzle with just enough olive oil to gently coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss with hands to evenly coat bread and put into a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, flipping with a spatula once in the middle of cooking time.  Remove from from oven when the croutons are lightly golden.  Let cool and use for salads or soups!

Oven Dried Tomatoes

Heirloom Tomatoes

Its that time of year when the temperatures start to cool off a bit at night and the tomatoes and other plants really start to set fruit!  I’m a little crazy about tomatoes!  They are the essence of summer… along with peaches and basil and okay any other delicious fruit, herb or plant  you can grow in your own backyard! 🙂  This year I started my tomatoes from seed under lights in February and planted them under walls of waters at the first of April.  18 different kinds of heirloom tomatoes all in the space of a 4×14 garden box!  That’s a lot of tomatoes and not really a lot of space.  They are doing well and I have to say I have been pretty proud of myself this year!  As the tomatoes come on more and more I have often wondered in the past what to do with them all.  There really hasn’t been enough at one time to can and there’s too much to eat all at once.  So I came up with this recipe and have been loving and enjoying every single tomato I grow for a few years now!  It’s so simple and delicious you may just eat an entire bottle in one sitting! … not that I’m guilty of that or anything… do ta do. 🙂

Recipe

Chopped Heirloom Tomatoes

Chop 5lbs. tomatoes into fairly large pieces (they will significantly decrease in size).  I usually cut my large ones into 4-6 pieces and cut the smaller ones in half.  Place into a large gallon size ziplock bag.

Seasonings for Oven Dried Tomatoes

In a large ziplock gallon size bag drizzle about 1/4 cup olive oil, 3-4 T. Balsamic dressing, sprinkle about 1 T. Italian Seasoning and add Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste.

Marinating Tomatoes

Gently toss the tomatoes inside the bag making sure everything is distributed evenly.  Place in fridge for 6-10 hours and allow to marinate.

Ready to Bake Oven Dried Tomatoes

Strain the tomatoes through a slotted spoon and place on a jelly roll pan.  Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 8-12 hours depending on how big the tomato pieces are.  Cook until they have shrunk in size and have caramelized a bit.

Finished OVen Dried Tomatoes

Once finished place into 2 pint jars.  Drizzle a little bit more olive oil on them (1 T.).  Keep in fridge for 2 weeks (if they last that long) or the freezer for several months.  I use my oven dried tomatoes for pasta, pizza, bruschetta and lots of other things!

Vegan Asian Rice Bowls

Vegeatrian Asian Rice Bowls

These rice bowls are very versatile!  Not only are they fresh, healthy and satisfying but they taste amazing too!

Recipe

Dressing:
In a small sauce pan bring the following ingredients to a quick boil.
6 tablespoons rice vinager
6 tablespoons cooking white wine
3 tablespoons agave
Add off the heat:
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 orange zested and juiced
1 lime zested and juiced
Rice Bowl Toppings:
Cooked brown rice
Black beans
Fresh chopped pineapple or mango
Fresh chopped tomatoes or red peppers
Fresh chopped scallions
Freshly chopped or shredded carrots
Fresh sliced radishes
Fresh chopped cucumbers
Fresh chopped avocados
Crumbled seaweed
Add any tofu, chicken or fish to the dish too (optional)
Pour dressing over the top and enjoy!

Spicy Mexican Salad Bowls

Spicy Mexican Salad Bowls

I love this dish!  It’s healthy, satisfying and delicious!  My mom made it for me a while back and I just had to share!  This healthier version of Cafe Rio’s salad with green tomatillo ranch dressing is mouth watering!  I like it vegetarian style but you can always add a tender shredded beef or chicken if you want!  This recipe serves 6-8.

Cilantro Lime Rice:
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest of 1 lime
2 cups chicken broth or water
Cook all ingredients above in a rice cooker or over the stove in a pan according to directions on the rice package.
Off the heat add:
2 limes juiced
2 teaspoons agave or organic sugar
3-4 tablespoons chopped cilantro (1/2 bunch)
Set aside.
Fresh Tomato Onion Salsa:
In a large bowl mix together:
5 large tomatoes
1/2 white onion, minced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Set aside.
Tomatillo Ranch Dressing:
1 cup water
1 cup cashews
Blend well.
Add:
2 tomatillos
1 jalapeno, seeded
1 lime zested
2 limes juiced
1 bunch cilantro
1 package of ‘Simply Organic’ brand ranch dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas: (found this great recipe from a friend.  It makes 6 large or 12 small tortillas)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic canola oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup warm water
Beat ingredients in an electric bowl fitted with a paddle attachment and mix for 3 minutes.  Divide dough into 6 or 12 pieces, roll out into circles with oil on the counter and grill on a hot flat skillet that has been seasoned or oiled.
*Place lots of fresh organic lettuce on the tortilla (melted with cheese, optional)
Add rice and black beans or meat if using
Top with fresh tomato salsa and dressing and enjoy!

No-Bake Energy Bites

No-Bake Energy Bites

These no-bake energy bites are so good and healthy!  Perfect for taking on a hike or field trip with the kids!

Recipe

You will need:
1 cup dry oatmeal
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Mix all ingredients together and roll into 1-2 inch balls.  Enjoy!

Vegetarian Nachos with Fresh Garden Salsa

Vegetarian Nachos with Fresh Garden Salsa

Easy, fast, kid-friendly and delicious!

Recipe

Organic corn chips

1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

3-4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Sour Cream

Avocado, chopped

Fresh salsa

On a jelly roll pan evenly place corn chips, black beans and peppers and cheese in that order.  Place in oven with it set on broil for 3-5 minutes on the middle rack.  Remove from oven, serve on plates and top with avocado, sour cream and fresh salsa.

 

Fresh Salsa

In a blender or food processor pulse:

1 red onion

2 garlic cloves

2 jalapeno or serrano peppers

1 bunch fresh cilantro or parsley

Add 2-3 pounds tomatoes, pulse a few times, keep it chunky.

Pour into bowl and add the juice of one lime and sea salt and pepper to taste.

Growing and Using Medicinal Plants: Elderberry

Elderberry Bush

Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) have not only been a favorite to people for centuries as a remedy for colds and flu, but many animals love it too!  I planted my elderberries from starts last year and I kid you not one of them is 12 feet tall!  They are fast growers!  I have lots of birds that like to feast on them and I am thankful for my little Yorky who likes to chase them away!  If you don’t have a dog to chase away the birds from your berries try using a type of netting to cover the shrubs so the birds can’t get in but the sunlight and water can.

Growing Elderberry

Elderberry can grow up to 30 feet tall given the right conditions.  It grows natively here up in our Utah mountains.  As kids our parents would take us up to the family cabin near Park City and we would pick the berries to make syrup.  Elderberry prefers rich moist soil and can grow anywhere from partial shade to full sun!  Cuttings are used as propagation rather than starting from seeds.  Although they can start from seed, it is much more difficult.  Just make sure you have a good space to put the shrub so it can grow and be happy!

Medicinal Uses for Elderberry

Elderberries are not typically eaten raw, they don’t taste very good for starters and if eaten in large amounts they can cause nausea and upset stomach.  They are best used when cooked.  Be sure not to use the red berries because they are poisonous!

Harvested Elder Flowers

Both the flowers and berries are used medicinally.  The flowers make a good tea for inducing sweating therefore helping to reduce fevers.

Elderberries on Plant

The berries are rich in immune-strengthening, anti-viral properties and are often combined with echinacea.  However, you don’t need to have a cold to use elderberry syrup!  It can be drizzled on pancakes and made into jams and pies!  With my newly harvested honey and the berries coming on it’s been fun to make a little syrup for the family!  Here’s my favorite recipe!

Elderberry Syrup

8 cups fresh elderberries (don’t use any green ones) or 4 cups dried berries

1 cup purified water if using fresh berries or 8 cups purified water if using dried berries.

1 cinnamon stick

4-6 cloves

4 1-inch pieces of fresh ginger

Honey (preferably raw and local)

Fresh Elderberries

Pick all berries off stems and fish out the green ones.  Place in a medium size sauce pan and add water, cinnamon, cloves and ginger.

Simmering Elderberry Syrup

Bring to a low simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid has decreased by half in volume, be careful not to boil it!  (Your house is going to smell amazing at this point!)  Next strain the mixture and measure the liquid.

Finished Elderberry Syrup

Match the same amount of honey to liquid and stir in until melted.   Keep the syrup refrigerated for up to 3 months!  If using medicinally to fight off a cold/flu, take 1-2 tablespoons several times throughout the day.