Gnowfglins: Soaking Grains
- Gnowfglins, Recipes
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06 Mar 2010
I’m wrapping up Lesson 2 in the GNOWFGLINS e-course on healthy and traditional cooking, and tonight’s dinner featured a technique I learned this week: soaking grains. Well, I actually learned this last month in the Nourished Kitchen Real Food Challenge, but for that challenge, I soaked flour for baking. Today, I soaked rice and made it from scratch.
I’ve never made “real” rice before; all of my rice experience is of the boil-in-bag, instant variety. This was the other extreme!
It’s important to soak grains to prepare their nutrition to be fully utilized by the body. Whole grains contain enzyme inhibitors and other natural substances that can actually interfere with digestion and block absorption of minerals and vitamins. Soaking the grains in an acidic solution neutralizes these substances to make the grains’ nutrients more available in digestion.
I started with a cup of dry brown basmati rice. I soaked the rice in 2 cups of filtered water with 2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar. (Lemon juice or other acidic liquids could also be used). I let my rice soak for 9 hours, though overnight is even better. One benefit (besides the nutritional benefits) – this process cuts down the actual cooking time of the rice.
When my rice was ready to go, I drained the soaking liquid and replaced it with filtered water (though you could cook the rice in the soaking liquid – I wasn’t sure if I’d like the tang of the vinegar in my rice, so I played it safe).
Then, I cooked the rice and turned it into Nutty Carrot Rice!
To go with my rice, I made an Italian breaded chicken breast. I actually get 2 meals out of 1 chicken breast, so I made 2, which should feed me well next week.
Add some baby spinach with vinaigrette on the side, and you’ve got… dinner!
The rice was very good – a nice departure from plain ol’ boring rice. It had a bit of a kick to it – I guessed at the cayenne pepper and used 1/4 teaspoon, and I think I probably should have cut back to 1/8th. (I like spicy food, but “spicy” to me is “mild” to the rest of the world). It complemented the chicken very well, and had a nice, nutty flavor. Nutty rice with a kick! Mozzarella cheese would have been good on the chicken, too. I didn’t have any!The rice recipe makes 6-8 servings (I ended up with 7), so I’ll be eating rice for a while….
Try it out! This was an easy combo, and the whole meal clocked in around a half hour prep, a half hour cook time, and around 375 calories (assuming you eat the entire chicken breast). Lots of vitamin A, too.
Spice up plain rice with a little bit of a kick! To enable the full nutritional value of the rice, soak it first (as described below). Check out Gnowfglins for more information on how to soak grains.
Details- Prep Time:
15 min - Cook Time:
20 min - Ready In:
35 min
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown basmati rice dry
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or more, to taste
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Directions
Pre-prep: Place the rice and water into a cooking pot. Add the apple cider vinegar. Let soak in a warm place for 7-8 hours or overnight.- When the rice is done soaking, you can either cook it in its soaking water, or (if you prefer a less tangy rice), drain the rice and replace the soaking water with an equal amount of filtered water (approximately 1 1/2 cups).
- Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover to steam, 20-30 minutes or until rice has absorbed all water and fluffs with a fork.
- While the rice is cooking, crush peanuts in a blender or word processor. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat coconut oil.
- Chop the onion. Add to the skillet.
- Grate the carrot. Add to the skillet. Saute until the onions are translucent.
- When rice is finished cooking, add the onion and carrot to the pot.
- Mix in the cayenne pepper and peanuts. Serve warm.
A quick, easy, and tasty chicken dish - double the bread crumbs and seasoning to serve 4.
Details- Prep Time:
5 min - Cook Time:
30 min - Ready In:
35 min
Posted: March 6, 2010 at 9:43 pmIngredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs whole wheat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- In a small bowl, beat egg with milk.
- In a ziplock bag, mix bread crumbs, seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Dip each chicken breast into the egg mixture, then put it in the bag. Zip the bag and shake it up, coating the chicken with the breading.
- Place coated chicken into a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is done and juices run clear.
{Tags: carrot, chicken, Gnowfglins, peanut, rice}
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Real Food Challenge, Week 4
- Real Food Challenge
-
28 Feb 2010
It’s the final week of the Real Food Challenge! I’m a little sad, but excited to continue experimenting and putting to use everything I’ve learned!
First up: the topic of meat. This is one of the topics that sent me head-first into the world of organic foods, after watching with horror and disgust (and quite frankly, anger) the movie Food, Inc. Just the sight of the labels of the big meat companies makes me want to write a million letters to my government representatives (not to mention, avoid it like the plague!) Thank goodness I have shopping options locally to buy organically raised meats. Grass-finished for me!
Next – eggs! I was so excited to discover a farm literally a couple blocks from my house that sells organic eggs. One of these days (when it gets warmer out!), I may even walk there to get my eggs!
I’m going to need some time before I take the step involving homemade broth…. I have issues with bones in meat! The thought of making a broth from chicken feet makes me want to hide under my desk and claim vegetarianism. I have an odd internal struggle with eating meat. I’m an animal lover, and really the only way I can manage to eat meat is if the meat doesn’t remind me of the animal. I’m over-sensitive in this regard, but it is what it is and I am what I am. I can’t eat chicken on bones, for example, and I’m certain that I will never be able to make a broth from a chicken’s foot!
For this same reason, organ meats are going to be hard for me – though the idea of blending them into a bolognese sauce sounds like it might be possible. It’s on my longer term list of things to do.
I don’t eat seafood, so day #26 is out! Well, OK. I’m not ruling this one out completely. I’ve never really tried most seafood, and while I’ve already blown away my New Year’s resolution of trying 10 new foods this year (finished that up in January!), I might…. might…. try seafood this year. I’m thinking maybe a non-fishy fish. The good news is that if I do, I will definitely be sure it is wild-caught, and with that, the most tasty and nutritious version possible!
Day #27 asked us to give back to the movement. I can’t wait until spring springs here in Chicago, because I have big plans to get involved with my local farmers’ market. I’m also hoping to give back by sharing what I learn via this blog and my Facebook.
This has been an exciting ride! I’m looking forward to trying some of the techniques I didn’t have time to get to during the month of February.
For those who didn’t get to complete the Real Food Challenge, here are the guidelines as described by NourishedKitchen.com. (Thanks, Jenny!!)
- Stay natural & unrefined.
- Avoid modern, processed foods.
- Sour, sprout, or soak.
- Love healthy fats.
- Brew mineral-rich stock.
- Eat grass-fed, pasture-raised, and wild-caught.
- Keep dairy raw and fresh.
- Get your good bacteria.
- Get involved.
- Maximize nutrient density.
I’m proud to check most of those off of my list as new habits! Thanks again to Jenny and Nourished Kitchen. This challenge has been fun and eye-opening – and I will continue to work on the lessons in the coming weeks and months.
Posted: February 28, 2010 at 7:21 pm
{Tags: beef, chicken, egg, seafood}
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Quesadillas with Stealth Ninja Squash
- Recipes, Stealth Ninja Vegetables
-
01 Feb 2010
Another smashing success in the Stealth Ninja Vegetable Experiment!
I made 2 more recipes out of the cookbook, Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food
: Chicken Quesadillas (with Stealth Ninja Butternut Squash), and Guacamole (with Stealth Ninja… well, I guess the avocados are pretty Out There with their Green Flags Flying… hmmm).
In addition to butternut squash, the quesadillas also had stealth ninja white beans! What a crazy amount of ninja going on in there!
I did not have my camera nearby, so alas, I have no photos, but the prep was super easy (and therefore not worthy of Adventure status here at Epic Organic). All I can say is – these quesadillas were wonderful and the guacamole was heavenly! I used all organic ingredients and can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Insanely delicious, and again – not a single sign of odd vegetable tastes anywhere (aside from the flamboyant avocados). If you’re a fan of chicken quesadillas, these are gooey-delicious and filling (and a great source of vitamin A!)
Here are the recipes as I prepared them, along with approximate nutrition info at the bottom of each one:
Adapted from Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld. Serve with fresh salsa or Stealth Ninja Guacamole. Makes 4 servings of 2 wedges per serving.
Details- Prep Time:
15 min - Cook Time:
15 min - Ready In:
30 min
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup white beans canned
- 1/2 cup butternut squash puree
- 1/2 cup sour cream reduced fat
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese low fat
- 4 whole whole wheat tortillas 8 inches round
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder or to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Pre-Prep: puree a roasted butternut squash.- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, and chili powder.
- Heat a large skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray over medium-high heat. Once hot, add olive oil.
- Add chicken breasts to skillet and sprinkle with spice mixture. Cook 5 minutes per side, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 9-10 more minutes or until cooked through.
- While the chicken cooks, in a small bowl or mini-chopper, mash the beans and sour cream together.
- In another bowl, mix the shredded cheese and butternut squash puree.
- When the chicken is done, cut it into small cubes or strips.
- Place 2 tortillas on a baking sheet.
- Spread the bean mixture over the 2 tortillas, then add the chicken.
- Spread the cheese mixture over the other 2 tortillas, then press the cheese tortillas on top of the chicken tortillas, sandwich-like.
- Bake at 400F until tortillas are crisp, 6-8 minutes.
- Cut into wedges and serve with salsa or guacamole.
Adapted from Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld. Actually, there's nothing rally stealth about the vegetables in this one! But this recipe goes quite well with the Quesadillas with Stealth Ninja Squash!
Details- Prep Time:
8 min - Ready In:
8 min
Posted: February 1, 2010 at 12:25 amIngredients
- 1 cup avocado puree
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt low fat
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise reduced fat
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
To puree the avocado:- Slice the avocado in half, lengthwise. Remove the seed and scoop out the flesh.
- Blend the flesh in a food processor for 2 minutes or until smooth.
- Stir together all ingredients with a fork.
{Tags: avocado, beans, butternut squash, chicken, oikos, puree, Recipes}
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Stealth Ninja Vegetable Experiment: Beets
- Recipes, Stealth Ninja Vegetables
-
29 Jan 2010
Here we go – Phase Two of the Stealth Ninja Vegetable Experiment. Before you dive into Phase Two, check out the first phase, where I chopped, steamed, roasted, and pureed all of the vegetables that will be used in this experiment.
Now that I’ve got a fridge and freezer full of pureed vegetables, it’s time to try cooking something with them!
The first recipe I will try takes advantage of pureed beets. Beets are new to me – I’ve never eaten them before, so they’re officially New Food #10 that I’ve tried in 2010. I certainly didn’t expect to hit this New Year’s Resolution within the first month of the new year! That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying new foods, though.
I chose to use the beets first because there aren’t many recipes in the Deceptively Delicious
First up in this cooking adventure: cut up a chicken breast into chunks. This, too, is new to me (and almost earns an Adventures in Chopping designation!) I’ve never cut up a raw chicken breast before. I’m not much of a fan of handling raw meat. It makes me think of where it comes from, and being an animal lover, I’ve always had a bit of a hard time reconciling my love of animals with my enjoyment in eating meat. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose (though I do feel better about my meat choices since switching to eating organic meats. At least this chicken wasn’t a genetically modified FrankenChicken).I got out my One Big Knife and sliced up the chicken breast. (The recipe calls for a pound of chicken breasts, but I only had 1 thawed, so I went with that).
Next, I mixed up the bread crumb mixture. Wow, it smelled delicious!
Then came the pureed beets mixed with egg. This would be the dip that would hold the bread crumbs on the chicken nuggets.
One by one, I dipped the chicken pieces into the stealth ninja beet mixture, then coated each one with bread crumbs and it aside. When they were ready to go, I heated up the skillet.I cooked the nuggets 3 minutes on one side and 4 minutes on the other. I may have needed to go a little longer over slightly lower heat, as my breading was starting to burn. They smelled great, though!
At long last, all of the chicken nuggets were cooked, and it was time to give these puppies a day in court.
The obvious thing here is, well, they’re red. I can just imagine a picky eater shunning these nuggets because they look weird. I’m guessing that the best bet, color-wise, would be to make these with pureed sweet potatoes instead, to get the closest match possible to the color of the chicken and breading. (Green nuggets from broccoli or spinach would look equally weird, I suspect).However, this isn’t about looks so much as it is about taste – at least for me, as I’m getting pretty used to eating funny colored things that happen to taste good.
So, I sat down with my funny looking chicken nuggets and a cup of ranch dressing, and…
Nom nom nom!
They were mighty, mighty good! No sign of beets in the flavor. I could eat these chicken nuggets all day long! So, despite having eaten beets tonight, I still could not tell you what they taste like – and that’s A-OK with me!
In conclusion, the first Stealth Ninja Vegetable Experiment, Beets Edition, was a success.
What stealth ninja vegetable will I try next? *dun-dun-duuuuuuuun!* You’ll have to wait and see!
Adapted from Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld. Requires pre-prepped vegetable puree - can use beets, broccoli, spinach, or sweet potatoes - I used beets. You can't taste the beets - though if the people you're feeding are adverse to weird food colors, avoid the beets - they make your chicken nuggets red! Quite delicious, though!
Details- Prep Time:
10 min - Cook Time:
20 min - Ready In:
30 min
Posted: January 29, 2010 at 10:01 pmIngredients
- 1 cup bread crumbs whole wheat
- 1/2 cup flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup beet puree (about 2-3 beets, roasted & pureed)
- 1 egg large
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast rinsed, dried, and cut into chunks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Pre-prep: Prepare your vegetable puree. Cut the chicken breasts into nugget-sized chunks.- In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, flaxseed meal, Parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- In another bowl, mix the egg and the beet puree.
- Sprinkle salt on the chicken nugget chunks.
- Dip each chicken nugget into the beet puree mixture, then toss the nugget in the bread crumb mixture until coated.
- Coat a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium-high. When the skillet is hot, add the olive oil.
- Place chicken nuggets into the skillet in a single layer. Do not over-crowd them. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown on one side, then flip each nugget and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve with your favorite dipping sauces (barbecue, ketchup, ranch, etc).
{Tags: beet, chicken, puree, Recipes, resolutions}
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