Food Lush

Soy Sauce Substitute: Coconut Aminos

By Caitlin

How is my crazy diet going, you (don't) ask? It's going great! As of yesterday I am....officially....halfway THRROO-OUGGHHH my...WHOOOLE THIRRTAYYYY! (Oprah voice) 

It's...going well. I feel pretty great (except for what I expect is HA HAAA another sinus infection), I have more energy, I am getting more sleep and better sleep and am just more clear-headed in general. I am beginning to tire of the relentless cooking and meal planning, yet it is also becoming easier in the sense that it's more routine now. Zach and I have found things we like, and some great new foods we'd probably never have tried otherwise. I think ghee (clarified butter) is going to be a routine part of my diet now. All the delicious butter with out all the mucus-causing dairy component! Delightful!

One problem you have when eliminating all soy, sugars, legumes, and the like is that it can be hard to find a product that lends umami to your cooking. Soy sauce, worcestershire, and most other sauces and seasonings are out. Enter coconut aminos. This soy, nut, dairy, gluten, everything free, raw, vegan liquid gold is shockingly good inspite what all those hippie adjectives might imply, and tastes like a sweet soy sauce. It has been a delightful addition to our diet. Use in stir fries, dressings, marinades, soups, or for dipping sashimi; basically anywhere you'd use soy sauce.  

Photo from http://www.vitacost.com

I've read about coconut aminos before on paleo and healthy living blogs but as I have a rather large cabinet chock full of seasonings, sauces, and spices (such is the fate of being married to a chef), I had little impetus to actually try it. Until now. I scavenged my local Whole Foods, missed the first time, and found it the second. It was in the asian section, near the mirin and soy sauces. (You can also find it on Amazon.) When I got it home Zach opened it up to taste it and it fizzed everywhere. We were disappointed and were going to take it back to exchange it for a fresh one when I had an epiphany: I think it's fermented? A few google searches later and we learned that it's normal for it to fizz when you open it: It's made from the fermented sap of the coconut tree. It sounds like I made that up, but I sure didn't.

Have you tried coconut aminos? And tell me, how is candy? Is candy still as good as I remember? Tell it I said hi.

Sauerkraut I Actually Like

By Jessica

I have never been a fan of sauerkraut, which is odd given that I love cabbage and most other cabbage preparations but there was always just something about it. Something off and overly strong. I had thought that maybe it was the metal can in combination with the acidity, maybe that combination made it taste off to me? So I sought out a variety that came in a glass jar and alas no change in my opinion.

It happens to be something that my husband loves, however, so I have always hoped to find one that I could be happy eating too and then most of my twitter stream started Whole30 and I started seeing raw sauerkraut in my feeds.

Farmhouse Culture has several different varieties of kraut to choose from and I was able to find a couple of them at my local Whole Foods markets. For my husband, I selected the smoked jalapeño and for myself the horseradish leek. On its own, it's still a bit sharp for my tastes but all manner of weird and off that I taste in regular kraut is gone. It's flavorful and even though I was expecting the horseradish to take over everything, it's so well balanced, that doesn't happen. 

We had brats and kraut for dinner tonight (I had Apple Sage Field Roast sausage) and I was really happy with it as a condiment. While I'm not a total convert, I will be finishing the jar I have and I also am now intrigued to try other varieties/brands. I have my eye on the Lemon Garlic Dill by Straight From The Vine next. 

Have you tried raw sauerkraut?

(Photo via Farmhouse Culture)

Sweet Potato "Chips"

by Maura

Since I'm on the Whole 30 torture train to better health, I'm having trouble finding alternatives to my usual side dishes. There are only so many days in a row that one can eat roasted broccoli. (I'm very close to that limit.) Since sweet potatoes are the only approved starch, I've been eating them in every form. Mashed, baked, diced-up and sauteed -- you name it, I've tried it. I was going to try sweet potato fries, but I've never been successful making them. I came across this recipe for sweet potato chips. It took two tries -- I hopelessly burned the first batch -- but they were delicious! I can see us making this recipe again, even after Hell30 Whole 30 is over!

I'm not the only Food Lush lady who loves them! Check out Krisitie's post from 2010.

Any super delicious sweet potato recipes you want to share with me?

Blackened Mahi Mahi

by Maura

As the lovely and charming Caitlin mentioned last week, we bought some local spices when we were in New Orleans. (I am definitely going to try her recommendation of blackened shrimp caesar salad this week!) I have not tried all the spices I bought, but I have cooked with the River Road Blackened Seasoning a few times.

This spice was really tasty on mahi mahi and salmon. It is spicy and a little goes a long way. It adds a nice kick to a blandish fish like mahi mahi and is a nice contrast to a fatty fish like salmon. Served with a side of roasted broccoli, it is a nice, easy, and healthy meal. I think it would also be good on a well marbled cut of beef.

If you aren't going to be around New Orleans any time soon, you can order this spice mix from World Famous Nawlins Cafe and Spice Market. You can also mix up your own (salt-free) version from this Seattle Times Food and Wine recipe. I've never tried that one, but you can generally trust the Seattle Times.

Do you have a favorite blackening seasoning? Is there a particular food you like to use blackening seasoning with?

Edible Gifts: California Olive Ranch Olive Oil

by Elissa

So, there is obviously no shortage of food-related gift ideas on this site lately (see, e.g., the exceptional gift guide), but I can't resist throwing another idea out there. The idea of giving nice olive oil (perhaps with some fancy vinegar) is hardly new, but I love the bottle of California Olive Ranch Olive Oil that I picked up at the grocery store the other day.

{photo credit: californiaoliveranch.com}

It comes in a beautiful, substantial dark green bottle that features olive shapes, and I love the illustration on the label. The olive oil tastes fabulous too--it's been great in salad dressings and on roasted vegetables. And the price was not unreasonable given the quality of the product and the packaging.

Lately I've read some disturbing articles about olive oil fraud that suggest that much of the "extra virgin" olive oil coming from Europe is not extra virgin and may not even come from olives. But this olive oil bears the seal of the California Olive Oil Council, which gives me some confidence that this is the real thing. And the company seems to take sustainability seriously, which is nice.

If you're looking for a consumable gift for someone who likes to cook or eat, see if you can find California Olive Ranch Oil at your local store (I found mine at Safeway). Or you can always orde online. Happy shopping and gifting!

Fall Produce Recommendation: Comice Pears

by Elissa

I love a good pear, but my experiences with a lot of varieties are mixed. A good Bartlett or Bosc pear can be great, but the ones I get at the grocery store are often not that good. The variety that almost never lets me down is Comice.

They don't look particularly fabulous, but they ripen beautifully on the counter and are juicy and delicious. Keep an eye out for them at the supermarket, and let them ripen until they start to give when pressed. Then enjoy, but keep a napkin nearby because pears this juicy can get messy!

Pantry Staple: Canned (and Dried) Lentils

Editor's note: Welcome to the lovely Sarah Anne, who is joining Food Lush's ranks. You can learn more about her at Fear No Food and on Twitter, too. 

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by Sarah Anne

Hey folks! I'm Sarah, a new addition to Food Lush, and I'm pretty excited to be able to talk to yet MORE people about food. Consider yourself warned!

As someone really keyed into not only the enjoyment of food, but also true nourishment, I tend to be a bit obsessive about making sure that we eat a well-rounded diet with plenty of fiber, protein, and other nutrients. It helps that I am constantly looking up nutritional stats of most foods, but it also helps that I keep my pantry and freezer well-stocked. Out of the many foods I keep on hand, which hopefully I'll go through in time, one of my most favourite pantry staples is a can or bag of lentils.

They are a great source of cholesterol-reducing fiber, vegetarian protein along with a couple B vitamins, folate, iron, manganese and a host of other vitamins and minerals. Not to mention, lentils are low calorie and nearly free of fat. As a vegetarian, I'd say they're a pretty good staple to have on hand, and we eat them a few times a week. 

There are several different types of lentils – brown/green, french or puy lentils, split red lentils, each of which has their use; I use brown or green lentils most often, with split red lentils coming a close second in the wintertime.

Canned lentils can be a great quick fix, and are wonderful in the summertime when you don't want to heat up the kitchen, as I rarely do in my 500sq ft apartment. Toss the rinsed lentils with chopped veggies and prepared vinaigrette for a nutritious and filling salad. Add a whole grain for even more oomph. Do the same in the fall or winter, but saute the vegetables and add the rinsed lentils toward the end, toss with dressing or sauce and you have a hearty, belly-warming meal. Our favourite this past summer was to add quinoa and canned lentils to Greek salad for a complete and super easy meal.

A bag of dried lentils can be just as useful, and even less expensive, but requires a bit more planning and prep time just to rinse and cook. It's still worth the effort to me! Here are a few of my recent favourites that used dried lentils. I've made each of these and have LOVED them. As an aside – so has my husband who is usually the test of a good, people-pleasing recipe.

Dreena Burton's “No-Fu” Love Loaf

(Source: Hannah Kaminsky & Plant Powered Kitchen)

Veggie Balls from Huffington Post

(Source) 

 

French Lentils with Walnuts and Goat Cheese from Laura Calder, Food Network Canada

(Source)

Lentils are such a versatile ingredient and a great option for meat eaters and vegetarians alike and are cheap to boot! From lentil loaves to indian style curries, everyone can get on board with something about lentils. Do you cook with lentils often? What kind? Do you have a favourite recipe that uses them? I'd love to find some new ones!

Three New Ways to Use Garlic

By Erica H.

Okay everyone, time to get serious about this Halloween thing. Soon the hordes of wee ghosts and ghouls will come knocking on your door, and...I can't help you with that, although I find that they generally respond well to name-brand candy bars. What I can help you with is generating some top-notch vampire-repellant this season. You can't be too safe! Here are three strategies beyond my general advice to always triple the amount of garlic called for in any given recipe.

1. Add a layer of roasted garlic to pizza. (Or sandwiches, bagels, burritos, donuts, etc.) I got this idea from Sugar Cooking's recipe for Roasted Garlic Chicken Pesto Pizza. Just roast a whole head of garlic:

Smush it up:

Spread it all over any surface that could use a deliciousness upgrade.

2. Mix garlic with salt and Greek yogurt for an intense and unusual condiment.

That dollop above is decorating some skillet-baked eggs with spinach and spiced butter, though I imagine it would enhance any number of egg dishes. Or even non-egg dishes, if you're into that sort of thing.

3. Soooooooooooooooup!

Smitten Kitchen's 44-clove garlic soup proves that garlic can hold its own as the star of the meal. I should note that when I described this recipe a couple of years ago, I was concerned that it was "not garlicky enough by a long shot." That probably makes it perfect as is for the average person, but if you have a palate like mine and/or live in a high-traffic area for vampires, you might want to follow my "joking" recommendation to, you know..triple it.

Apples recipes

by Elsha

It's fall. The mornings are chilly, the leaves are changing color, and our apples are ripe. We have three apple trees, two granny smith and one fuji (I think). Three trees means a LOT of apples. Obviously we'll eat some of them fresh, and we'll make some apple desserts (pies, crisp, tarts) but this year I wanted to try some new things. I went looking for some non-dessert apple recipes and here are the ones I definitely want to make.

(photo from The Pioneer Woman)

This apple, pecan, and blue cheese salad by The Pioneer Woman. I eat a salad most days for lunch, so I'm always looking for ways to change it up.

These apple and cheddar scones by Smitten Kitchen. I think these would be excellent with a good broccoli cheddar soup. 

How about some apple muffins by The Girl Who Ate Everything? Alright, this one leans a little more to the dessert-y side of things, but I've never made apple muffins and these sound delicious.

It might take a little convincing to get my family to try this recipe for shredded brussels sprouts and apples by 101 Cookbooks, but I think it needs to happen.

And I'm pretty much drooling on my keyboard over this recipe for crispy turnovers with apple, bacon, and caramelized onion by The Kitchn. Puff pastry! With apples! And bacon! And optional gouda! I definitely want them with gouda.

Do you have a favorite apple recipe I should try?

Boiled Cider Syrup

By Erica H.

I couldn't agree more with Nora's assessment that it is CIDER SEASON (though I would probably leave the qualifier off of "fairly obsessed"), and therefore time for all the cidery deliciousness to be mine. If you're anything like me, you'll cozy up with a big mug of that mulled cider and think: this is a flavor that should be in everything I eat. Good news! I have discovered a way to make our dreams come true.

Last Christmas I received a bottle of boiled cider syrup from my mother, who was inspired by the Apple Cider Cream Pie I had made at Thanksgiving. I believe this was an effort to encourage me to revisit said delicious pie by giving me a shortcut on one of the steps. (The cider-boiling one, specifically.) This will likely be an effective strategy!

But it will also leave me with quite a bit of leftover syrup. I'm certainly not at a loss applications--I mean, what wouldn't taste good with condensed apple cider all over it? Pancakes, toast, ice cream, oatmeal, lasagna. The obvious things. But I did glance around the internet just in case I was missing anything.

In its interesting article on the history and usage of boiled syrup, the Washington Post notes that in the past, boiled syrup was used in a similar way that honey is now--to sweeten things like baked beans and fruitcake, for example. This syrup = honey idea made me determined to add a dollop to my next cup of Apple Cider Tea, thereby creating MEGACIDER tea. (Or I could, you know, use it to bind my mincemeat. Whatever.) If it's easier for you to come by large quantities of cider, there is a recipe to make your own syrup, along with a suggestion that you use it to sweeten mashed sweet potatoes, glaze roasted vegetables, or add an interesting note to a vinaigrette.

Who are we kidding, though? The rest of that bottle is going right into Apple Cider Caramels.