Mediterranean Chicken Rice Bowl

Simple and fast! That is what I love especially when I have been outside working in the garden for hours. I need something that will fill me up, is nutritious and simple. This dish is full of flavor and makes for good left overs the next day.

Recipe

Basmati or brown rice, cooked

1 cucumber chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/4 cup kalamata olives cut in half

1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles

For the Dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano and parsley

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Grilled or rotisserie chicken cut or shredded

In a large bowl mix together the cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and feta. Make the dressing by adding the oil, lemon juice, herbs, garlic and salt and pepper. Add dressing to the veggies. Place greens into a bowl top with rice of choice and the veggies. Add chicken and enjoy!

Garden Veggie Mediterranean Salad

Veggie Garden Greek Salad

I love making this salad because most ingredients come from my vegetable and herb gardens. It is packed full of flavor. Serve with pita or just make as a side dish.

Recipe

1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped

2 bunches scallions, chopped

2 thin sweet green cucumbers (hothouse works), sliced

16 ounces garbanzo beans (optional) rinsed well

1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves chopped

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves chopped

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves chopped

Juice of 2 lemons

1 tablespoon fresh chopped garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

8 ounces feta cheese crumbled

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together into a large bowl and serve! Easy!

Creamy Pasta Primavera

Creamy Pasta Premavera

Can’t go wrong with the fresh, simple and flavorful dish as a side dish for a party or an easy vegetarian meal.

Recipe

16 ounces your choice penne or spiral noodles cooked according to the directions on the package

1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 cup shredded carrots

1 bunch asparagus sautéed and chopped

1 tablespoon garlic chopped

1/2 cup butter

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup fresh chopped basil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta and strain. Sautee the asparagus and add the butter, cream and garlic. Add the carrots, tomatoes and basil. Stir and throw in the cooked pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Asian Chicken Salad

Asian Chicken Salad

Fresh, filling and full of flavor! You are going to love this salad!

Recipe

3 oranges, with the pith and membrane cut away from the wedges

1/3 cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons coconut aminos

1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce

3 tablespoons fresh minced ginger

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons liquid coconut oil

2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed oil

1 rotisserie chicken shredded

1 head Napa cabbage sliced thin

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 bunch scallion, chopped

1/2 to 1 cup cashew halves

After removing the pith and membrane from the oranges, squeeze the rest of the juice out of the oranges to equal 6 tablespoons.  In a separate bowl, make the sauce by whisking the vinegar, coconut aminos, ginger, chili garlic sauce, honey, orange juice, and oils together. In a large bowl mix together the chicken, cabbage, peppers, cilantro, scallions and cashews together. Pour the dressing over the top and mix with tongs. Serve immediately.

 

Easy Summer Mac N Cheese

Easy Mac N Cheese

This is my favorite quick and easy summer meal to make for lunch or dinner. I use my favorite sun sugar tomatoes and fresh basil to garnish!

Recipe

4 cups or 16 ounces gluten free noodles (or any noodles of your choice)

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese like Tillamook

1 teaspoon powdered onion

1 teaspoon powdered garlic

Sea salt and pepper for taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until just soft. Strain. Put strained noodles back in the pot
While the noodles are cooking mix the cream, shredded cheese, garlic and onion powders together. Add the cream and cheese mixture to the noodles on low heat. Stir until cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper for taste. Garnish with fresh tomatoes and basil.

Gluten Free Buttered Noodles with Garden Fresh Veggies

Gluten Free Buttered Noodles with Garden Fresh Veggies

There is nothing like the tang of fresh garden tomatoes, soft purple potatoes, delicious zucchini and fresh herbs to make any pasta dish better! This was all eaten in just a few minutes! You could add chicken, but we didn’t miss it!

Recipe

1 yellow onion, sliced
1 zucchini, chopped
4 purple potatoes, chopped
Saute in butter, sea salt and fresh pepper.
Cook 1 package gluten free noodles. Strain. Add to veggies.
Add 2-4 cups cherry
4 more tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Serve warm!

Zucchini and Sweet Potato Curry with Mint Cilantro Chutney

Zucchini and Sweet Potato Curry

We loved this hearty vegetarian dish! It is so flavorful and went well with Jasmine rice, but you could easily serve with brown rice too. Be sure to serve with a cooking mint infusion!

Recipe

3 tablespoons coconut oil

4 teaspoons curry powder

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

2 onions, chopped or 1/2 cup dried chopped onions

12 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, chopped finely

1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger

1 tablespoons tomato paste

1 pound chopped zucchini

8 ounces green beans fresh or frozen

1 cup  water

1 (15 oz) can garbonzo beans (optional)

1 can coconut milk

1 quart canned tomatoes crushed or blended

Heat the coconut oil in a large dutch oven on medium heat. Add the curry, garam masala, onions, potatoes, garlic, serrano pepper, ginger and tomato paste until fragrant. Add the zucchini and green beans. Add the water, coconut milk, pureed tomatoes and garbonzo beans if using. Simmer covered until the potatoes are softened. Make the cilantro mint chutney.

Cilantro Mint Chutney

2 cups fresh cilantro

1 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 lime juiced

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Blend all ingredients together and add to the curry when finished cooking. Serve with rice.

 

 

Bread and Fermentation Class Open Enrollment

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Come and learn about the significance of the gut microbiome and how to care for it with the skill of preserving through fermentation of veggies, salsa, fruit and bread. The workshop is $15. You’ll get to taste lots of delicious fermented foods and take home your own sourdough starter.  Class will be held August 1st at 1 PM. Deadline to sign up is July 25th.

Did you know that what you eat and how you live directly impacts your health and how you feel? For every cell we have in our body there are 10x more bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa that are all talking to our mitochondria, coordinating repair and growth. We are only 1% human… the rest of us is an ecosystem that works harmoniously with our body if we are treating them right. Those little critters are the control center of the body, regulating hormones, inflammation, brain chemistry and what we do or don’t absorb. We know that 70% of our immune system is in the gut, where health begins. Our gut health even impacts our brain activity because more gaba and serotonin are produced in the gut than the brain. For every 1 message our brain sends to our gut, our gut sends 9. These messages include the activation of our immune system, the growth of new brain cells and the adaptability of these new cells to learn. More science is finding that our gut microbiome is critical to whether or not we experience chronic illness and impacts the health of our future. Come and learn what foods trigger inflammation and which foods to eat more of. We will learn the simple skill of fermenting vegetables like kimchi and salsa, fruit chutneys and even fermented bread which lowers the gluten content significantly. Seating maximum for this class is 25. No refunds available after the deadline. Cost goes to food purchased for the class.

Class Price – $15

Sign up here.

Update! Early Bulk Food and Herb Order

Bulk Food Storage

I moved my bulk food storage order to March 12th. Please have your orders and money in by NOON on that date.  Orders are for pick up only in West Jordan Utah.

List here for items and prices https://rootedemily.com/food-storage/

I also have a new page with bulk herbs and other items with prices https://rootedemily.com/starwest-botanicals-bulk-herbs-spices-tea-blends-extracts-and-more/

This will be the only time we place an olive oil order for the year.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Kimchi – Learning How To Make Fermented Foods

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Fermented foods are a big thing right now and rightfully so. Science is now finding more answers behind the microbiome and what it is all about. Did you know we are only 1% human?! The rest of us consist of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa and they out number us 100:1. These little guys are critically important to the health or disease we experience in life. They are all speaking with our mitochondria to coordinate repair and growth within our cells that help to fight off disease. The microbiome is the control center of our body. For every 1 message our brain sends to the gut, our gut sends 9 to the brain. These messages control our stress response, brain hormone production, activation of the immune system and much more. We also know that more gaba and serotonin is made in the gut than in the brain effecting how we feel mentally, making our gut our second brain. If our microbiome is off it can impact our mood, create brain fog, anxiety, behavioral disorders and even trigger depression. This is why it’s so important to take care of these little guys and to replenish our gut with them daily. A great way to do this is to eat fermented foods. The fermented foods you make at home contain far more micro-organisms than a capsule you can buy in the store. Fermenting your food can save a lot of money in the long run and it tastes really good.

You can ferment just about anything, especially if you use a whey starter. A brine can also be used, but not for fruit. Before we get started there are some things you need to be aware of when fermenting food.

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These ferments will be lacto ferments made from lactobacilli, it occurs when yeasts and bacteria convert starches and sugars in foods into lactic acid. Lactic acid helps with blood circulation, prevents constipation, balances digestive acids and encourages good pancreatic function.

When fermenting foods, both beneficial (bacteria, yeasts and mold) and spoiling organisms can ferment our foods. We don’t want the latter to happen so it’s important to facilitate the right conditions for beneficial organisms to thrive and crowd out the ones we don’t want.

Creating the perfect environment – Salt brine is the most common way to protect food as it ferments. Reasonable amounts with pure water create a safe place for bacteria to thrive. Too salty and they can’t survive. Whey is another good kick start culture that contain a high population of good bacteria.

Eliminate oxygen exposure by covering food with a weight or water and then a tight lid or airlock. Airlocks allow gases to escape preventing exploding jars while keeping the exposure to air and spoilage organisms out. This works for fruits, veggies and meats. Sourdough requires some oxygen.

Increased acidity can also help like lemon juice and vinegar.

Use organic foods whenever possible. Microbes can die from the pesticides used on crops. Think about what pesticides do to the micro-organisms in our soil?… This is one reason why we don’t have as much nutritional value in our modern food today.

Use clean jars, tools and utensils. Do not use corrosive metals like aluminum and even stainless steel. Glass or ceramic jars or crocs are best. Amazon is a great resource.

Do not use table iodized salt. Use unrefined sea salts in grey or pink color that contain trace minerals which are good for the organisms.

Use your nose to smell the fermented food. It should always smell pleasing. Anything that is repugnant, throw out. There is a difference between sour and spoiled or rotting. It is unmistakable.

If your ferment creates gas or bloating you haven’t fermented it long enough… so it is fermenting in your gut. Just pull it out of cold storage and let it finish fermenting. Sometimes eating fermented foods can cause die off symptoms of the not so friendly micro-organisms found in the body. Back off a little, but keep eating the good stuff. Those symptoms should only last a few days to a few weeks.

Let’s get started!

Kimchi

Recipe

Whey Starter: – Strain 1 quart yogurt through double layered cheese cloth fitted into a mesh strainer. Place in fridge and let strain for a day. Eat the “Greek” yogurt and save the whey in a container kept in the fridge for later use.

Brine Starter – Combine 6 tablespoons of fine sea salt or 9 tablespoons of course sea salt in 8 cups of chlorine free water. Allow to sit on the counter for a few hours until the salt is dissolved or heat the salt and water in a large pot until the salt is dissolved. Keep in a jar until needed.

Kimchi

1 small head of cabbage (green or purple), shredded or chopped
1 bunch on green onions (about 6-8)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tablespoon fresh chopped or grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp dried red pepper flakes (optional)
½ tablespoon of sea salt
¼  cup whey starter

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl, cover with a tea towel and let sit for 30 minutes until the salt pulls the liquid out of the veggies. About half way through pound the veggies to release more water. Transfer to a wide mouth mason quart jar and pack tightly as you fill. Place your weight on top if using and make sure liquid is covering the veggies. Leave a 1” space at the top. Cover tightly with lid or airlock. If using a lid only be sure to burp your ferment a few times a day to prevent explosion. Leave at room temp for 5-7 days. When the ferment is starting to bubble a bit that is when it is ready. Keep in fridge if not using right away.