Friday, June 28, 2013

Honey Sweetened Basil Lemonade (Guest Post)


Remember a ways back when I did a guest post for Katja at The Savory Lotus? Well, now it's her turn to share something over here! 

I love Katja because our food views are pretty similar, so I can make most of her recipes without wanting to change a single thing. Which is pretty great when you're crunched for time and creativity! Plus, she's Finnish...

Here's what she made for us:




Summer time and the living is easy.  Sitting on the back porch enjoying the sunshine.  What could be better than a cold glass of lemonade?  How about  a cold glass of Honey-Sweetened Basil Lemonade?  Yes, please....



I love this time of year.  We get to spend countless hours outside enjoying the bounty of summer.  I look across the yard and see trees loaded with fruit, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries ready to pick, pumpkin plants so big that my little one could get lost in them, and fresh herbs galore.  I feel blessed to live in an area with such an amazing climate and long growing season.



The basil has pretty much taken over the little area I set aside for it.  This morning was the time to tame it back.  Pesto is always a family favorite.  But how about something a little different?   I still had a huge basket of lemons in the kitchen given to me by a friend.  This is what I came up with: Honey-Sweetened Basil Lemonade.



The recipe is quite simple:  Lemons, honey, basil, and water.  It does require a little bit of planning as the basil lemon syrup gets better the longer it sits.  I made the syrup in the evening before I went to bed and then made the lemonade the next day.  A couple hours will do if that is all that you have.  This recipe makes about 2 quarts but easily halves or doubles to accommodate your needs.   Happy Summer and ENJOY!



Honey-Sweetened Basil Lemonade



Ingredients:

For Basil Lemon Syrup:

2 cups filtered water

2 cups fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup raw honey

2 TBS lemon zest

For lemonade:

2+ cups basil lemon syrup

3/4- 1  cup fresh lemon juice (depending on how lemony you like it)

5 cups filtered water

pinch of celtic sea salt

ice cubes

fresh basil leaves and lemon slices for garnish





Directions:

To make basil lemon syrup: Bring filtered water and honey to a boil, gently stirring to dissolve  honey.  Add lemon zest and basil leaves.  Turn off heat and gently mash/muddle mixture to help infuse flavors.  Cover and allow to cool completely.  After mixture is cool, transfer into airtight container and place in fridge for at least 2 hours.  Strain through a sieve and discard pulp.  Makes a bit over 2 cups of syrup.   (I leave mine overnight to make an extra flavorful syrup.)



To make basil lemonade:   Combine  basil lemon syrup with 5 cups filtered water, 3/4 cups fresh lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.  Stir to combine.  Pour into ice cube-filled glasses.  Add basil leaves and lemon slices for garnish.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!



NOTE:  My lemonade has a darker look to it because I use a dark, local honey from a friend.  Using a lighter colored honey will yield a lighter colored lemonade. 





Pinit

Katja is the author of the Savory Lotus, a food and wellness blog. She focuses on REAL, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods to nourish the body and the mind, and is passionate about helping people simplify their journey to health. There is no “right” answer when it comes to vital living.  We are all on our own journey.  When not creating magic in the kitchen or researching food politics, Katja can be found trying to find time to get on her yoga mat, pulling weeds in the garden, and enjoying life at home in Northern California with her beautiful family.  www.savorylotus.com
  
Thanks Katja!
 

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

A Cry for Organization and Design Help!

This post is a little different than the recipes I usually post. It's a cry for help!

Let's be honest. It's going to be slightly hard to press 'publish' on this one. My organization skills are seriously lacking and after a while I stop noticing how bad things really are. I didn't touch anything before taking these photos, and it made me look twice. The scary part is I know exactly where everything is! Which means I've been living with this for way too long...

So, here's the deal: Any ideas you have for organizing this place are welcome. Extra points for cheap/free inspiration. Feel free to comment with descriptions or links here in the comment section or on Facebook.

My kitchen cupboards are pretty stuffed, so I can't imagine being able to move many things out of this pantry, but if even one shelf looked nicer, I'd be smiling.

The good thing is, there's lots of space!

Starting from top to bottom...

2nd and 3rd shelves...

4th and 5th shelves...

bottom...

Another view of the top...

And the bottom...
 
 
At least I have this...
 All these spices used to be on those shelves too!

Almost everything needs to stay in the pantry. Although now that I think of it, I could probably move the coolers and free up TONS of space. 

What other suggestions do you have for me?

Comment here, on Facebook, or even leave links to blogs, Pinterest boards, etc.

Thanks everyone! I hope someone out there knows more than me :)

Monday, June 24, 2013

Grilled Asian Salmon (20-Minute Meal)




Yesterday was slightly rough weather-wise. We spent the whole day on the couch, trying to minimize movement and maximize fluids. Oddly, the temp wasn't so high that I expected to feel so weary, so it must have been the humidity.


There's nothing like hot and humid weather to inspire me to move the cooking outside and keep the time involved to an extreme minimum. I couldn't be more happy that I had these fillets in the freezer...




This is such a basic recipe, it's almost ridiculous. From start to finish, you can be done in 20 minutes flat. That's the kind of sanity-saver I require these days!


I recommend the wild-caught fillets if you can find them. We don't eat as much fish as I would like and as I was shooting this before we ate, my daughter was happily eating the crunchy skins. It's interesting what kids will eat when you let them...


Eating salmon makes me miss Alaska. The summer after my freshman year in college, I was a nanny in Anchorage. My sister and I shipped home loads of salmon and halibut and ate like kings! Once you get used to quality fish, it's hard to be satisfied with farmed. Maybe that's why we don't eat fish often as I'd like.




Grilled Asian Salmon
Yield: 4 fillets (easily doubled)


2 teaspoons liquid aminos or soy sauce
Juice from half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger (time for the grater with tiny holes!)
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 wild-caught salmon fillets (palm-sized), thawed
Salad greens, for serving 
Lemon wedges, for serving

In a small bowl, stir together the liquid aminos, lemon juice, ginger, salt, and pepper.

Brush the marinade over all sides of the salmon and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Light grill and set heat to medium-low.

Place salmon on grill skin side up. After about 3 minutes, flip and allow to cook for about another 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets. To test for doneness, poke the pink side with a fork and lightly twist. The meat should flake apart.

Serve over a bed of greens and top with a squeeze of lemon.



Pinit

I link up at these parties.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Greek Pizza with Cauliflower Crust (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)



Whew! It's been so wonderful to have a break these past few weeks. My little vacation went on longer than planned, and we haven't been home the past five weekends. Yikes! Although I've been busy writing posts, none of them got finished before the next adventure began. Now: catch-up time.

My sister roped me in to a Whole7 starting today, which always adds to the challenge. Fortunately we have our trusty farmer's market that should be booming quite soon.

We spent the past weekend in Minneapolis because my hubby had a seminar there on Saturday. So the little one and I got to run over to my old stomping grounds and visit one of my oldest friends who I don't get to visit nearly often enough. I hadn't been back to that neck of the woods in almost three years!

We talked a lot about foods and health stuff. She was my roommate when I started chiropractic school, so we both started changing our lifestyles at the same time. If there had been another person there, they would have had a hard time getting in a word!

This is my first experience with the cauliflower crust pizza and it's so easy. And much quicker than homemade dough. Maybe I'll be bringing back our Friday night pizza tradition...

I expected the crust to be slightly crispier, but spreading it a little thinner or baking for a few extra minutes would take care of that. Keeping it more substantial is totally acceptable, but the crust will be softer and more flexible.

You probably wouldn't want the crust to be less cooked than this.

It reminds me of an omelet or thick crepe, but not as egg-y. That's the best comparison I can come up with texture-wise. If you're grain- or gluten-free, it's a great way to get in more veggies and still eat some of the foods you miss!

Being meat-free, this recipe will probably feed two very hungry souls. Or four if served with something else!



Greek Pizza with Cauliflower Crust (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)
Yield: 8 slices
Adapted from Closet Cooking

 


1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 large egg
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Few grinds of black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
2 handfuls of mixed greens or spinach
1/2 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles


Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper.

Place cauliflower florets in a steamer basket over boiling water or in boiling water, cover and cook until soft.

Process the cauliflower in a food processor until no large pieces remain. Wrap the cauliflower in a tea towel (lint-free and tight weave), squeezing out as much moisture as possible.

Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the egg, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, salt, and pepper. Once fully combined, dump it on the prepared pan and press it into a circle with your fingers. Try to make the crust as uniform in thickness as possible. The thinner the crust, the shorter the cook time and the crispier it will turn out.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, watching closely near the end to make sure it doesn't burn.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with the garlic, remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and drizzle with olive oil.

Return to the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Top with greens, tomatoes, olives, and feta.

Slice and serve immediately.


Pinit