Loaded Biscuits + Sweet and Spicy Chicken Salad

I discovered a 'can' of biscuits in my 'fridge today. They were expired but I decided to try an idea with them anyway.

I preheated the oven to 375° cut them up into various sizes, rolled them in melted ghee in a glass baking pan.

Then they were drizzled with Moroccan EVOO since the ghee absorbed quickly. Sprinkled with Everything Bagel Seasoning. Last, I lightly covered them with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and baked for 15 minutes. If they're not nicely browned by then, a few minutes under the broiler should fix that.

Once those were baked I thought they would pair nicely with some chicken salad for dinner tonight. So this happened. . .

Combine in a medium glass bowl:

1/3c± jalapeño jelly
~ warmed in the microwave

1/3c± EVOO mayonnaise

To this chop and add:
2 green onions
3 stalks celery heart
4oz. roasted dark meat chicken
cilantro, celery tops or parsley
a good shake of garlic salt

Using a silicone spatula, mix everything together. Pull apart some biscuits, slice some cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles or avocados on the side. . .Lin

Sandwiches!

Strangely, as an adult, sandwiches aren't something I eat often. 

Or pizza. . .Somehow, just typing this here feels oddly un-American - 

or maybe anti-Italian - neither of which apply to me!

As a child I didn't like peanut butter at all, but when pregnant with my son, I couldn't get enough PB&J's! One every day for lunch. Now, natural peanut butter and jalapeno jelly is great. . .Or some EVOO packed tuna made into crunchy tuna salad with lots of onion and celery.

And pizza. . .homemade with an interesting sauce, cheese, pepperoni and lots of chopped vegetables on a big tortilla is fun and delicious. Back to sandwiches. . .My absolute favorite - is a Grilled Cheese with Tomato and Onion 😋 on really good, healthy bread. Sourdough or my Focaccia or one of my Artisan breads, Mmmm.

These happened in the past couple days.

<———The first: Swiss+American cheese, sourdough bread, tomato, mashed avocado, seedy mustard, peppered deli turkey, onion, brushed generously with EVOO and 'grilled' in my heavy stainless frying pan.

The second, open faced, were on the last piece of the Focaccia I made recently with 1/3 corn flour. I don't think corn flour belongs in Focaccia. . .I'll stick to bread flour, or use rye or buckwheat flour for part of the total.

For these, I toasted the bread, then spread it with EVOO Mayonnaise, added a slice of an heirloom tomato, onion, cilantro and Swiss cheese ———>

Mmmmm. . .SO good, but then, I can't remember a nicely put together Grilled Cheese sandwich that I didn't love 😃

These both happened quickly and took care of the sandwich cravings. . .Lin

Roasting Chicken - For Meat And Bone Broth

Ahhhh, it's A Chicken Roasting Day!!!
One of my favorite days in the kitchen!

Today I washed and dried several pounds of chicken thighs (adding chicken feet later in the roasting process.) I then put the thigs in my 60 year old black speckled roasting pan. Drizzled with Moroccan EVOO and seasoned. Today my Rosemary Seasoning sounded good. This bone broth will be shared with my cat Henry and dog Oliver, so NO onion or garlic in any phase of prep.

When roasting chicken, I always do it the opposite of everyone else I know. I start with the chicken uncovered, for about an hour at 400° to brown it up, then turn the heat down to 350-375° and cover for the rest of the oven time. Today, the total time was just under 2 hours with the feet added after I reduced the temperature. Check the brownness of the thighs, occasionally poking them with a fork and basting everything.

Then the covered pot cooled, on my back deck where it was 52° and shady. Once cool enough to handle, I removed all the meat to package for future use.

It was back-to-the-pot for all the skin, fat, bones and feet, which Walmart's meat department labels . . . . .  😁 CHICKEN 🐔 PAWS 😅 !!

To all that I added enough water to half way fill the pan, bay leaves, peppercorns, turmeric, a big splash (1/3 - 1/2c) of apple cider vinegar and simmered it all on low, covered, for about 3 hours. Then cooled a bit again before beginning the straining.

Strain everything from one pot to another, of equal size, going back and forth a couple times using finer mesh strainers each time. I've now got it down to only a couple 'strains' since I use a dampened piece of cheesecloth type of material inside a big strainer, the final time to catch all the little particles. This works well for a nice semi-clear broth.

Before doing the final strain, be sure to thoroughly clean the pot you plan to chill this in. Chill at least overnight, or long enough for the fat to solidify at the top and the actual bone broth to gel underneath.

The vinegar and those simmered chicken feet produce a very well gelled broth, which indicates it's full of healthy collagen.

Heat and have a cup, use it in soups or gravies, and give your cat and dog some in their food. Supplementing our pet's diets with healthy human foods can definitely extend their lives.

My American Staffordshire, Penny lived to be 19+ and my Puggle, Oliver will be 15 in July. .🐶. .Lin

Sweet and Hot Peanut Sauce

This is my version of 'fast food.' Something I didn't cook from scratch, that I can eat at home, on a day when I've been really busy and need a break from the 2 or 3 of the things in the 'fridge I made in the last few days.

Tonight it was these frozen chicken-vegetable wontons sauteed with 6 big garlic cloves in toasted sesame oil (yes 6!) with 3/4c frozen peas added at the end. As this was coming together I realized I was out of sweet chili sauce, so I put a peanut sauce together in just a few minutes: Combine. . .equal parts of natural peanut butter + jalapeno jelly or jam. Add a big splash of soy sauce to get it to the consistency you want. . .that's all! If it doesn't mix well, 30 seconds in the microwave will help.

Another good addition would have been a spoonful of the really spicy Swad Coriander (cilantro) Chutney - Maybe next time. Bon Appetit! . . . Lin

A Whole Grain Focaccia

Creating variations of this bread baking is really becoming a fun thing!

This recipe is almost the same as the previous except for the flour and the seeds/seasonings I added to the dough. Next time I might use some corn flour and increase the yeast a bit.

200g Italian 00 flour - from Caputo, Italy
3T ground flax seed + enough rye flour to = 100g

7g everything bagel seasoning
1/2-1t Himalayan pink salt

4.5g active dry yeast

280g warm (115°) water

2t raw organic honey

Whisk the flour and seasoning in a big glass bowl. Heat the water to 115° and stir in the yeast and sweetener. Once dissolved, let it activate for 10 minutes or so. Pour this into the flour bowl. Working quickly with a silicone spatula, mix this together until all the flour is absorbed.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in your unheated oven with the light on. That brings the temperature to around 85° and there are no drafts to interfere with the rising process. When it's doubled in size, in an hour or two, take it out of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 395°F (200°C) Butter a glass baking pan very well* Pour and scrape the dough into the pan using the spatula to spread it evenly to the corners.

Drizzle with EVOO and oil your fingers. Poke them into the surface of the dough to make little 'wells'.

Sprinkle the top with flaked salt or any seasoning you like. I used everything bagel seasoning just before baking.

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy on top. Cool 20 minutes or so then remove from the pan - this time the bread removed very easily. Cut it into strips and squares. This is really good split and toasted when used as the base of an egg sandwich or avocado toast. . .Lin

A Focaccia Adventure!!

Wow. . .This was really fun, quick and turned out great for my first attempt at Focaccia!

First of all, if you aren't already weighing your ingredients, for baking - as opposed to measuring - just put this recipe aside for now - buy yourself a little kitchen scale that weighs in pounds, ounces and grams. You'll be glad you did after using it a time or two.  It's a European thing that gives much more consistent results.

300g Italian 00 flour - from Caputo, Italy

7g of a salt, pepper & garlic blend

  -or- everything bagel seasoning

4.5g active dry yeast

280g warm (115°) water

1t organic cane sugar

  -or- raw local honey

  -this helps to activate the yeast-

Whisk the flour and seasoning in a big glass bowl. Heat the water to 115° and stir in the yeast and sweetener. Once dissolved, let it activate for 10 minutes or so. Pour this into the flour bowl. Working quickly with a silicone spatula, mix this together until all the flour is absorbed.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until double in size.

I've found the best place for this is a cold oven with the light on. That brings the temperature to around 85° and there are no drafts to interfere with the rising process.

Preheat your oven to 395°F (200°C) Using butter or ghee, grease a glass baking pan very well* Pour and scrape the dough into the pan using the spatula to spread it evenly to the corners.

Drizzle with EVOO and oil your fingers. Poke them into the surface of the dough to make little 'wells'. Sprinkle the top with flaked salt or any seasoning you like. I mixed a salt, pepper & garlic blend into the flour, to flavor the bread but decided to sprinkle the oiled top with everything bagel seasoning just before baking.

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy on top. Cool 20 minutes or so then remove from the pan and cut into strips and squares. This is really good served warm.

This recipe, and any subsequent variations, just might turn me - a 'not-too-big-on-bread' person, into a crispy Focaccia lover! I'll cut the rest of this into squares that can be split for sandwiches or toast. . .Lin


*This came out of the pan cleanly, but did not come out easy.
It required some prying with a flat metal pancake flipper. If you want to avoid that, line the pan with 2 well greased pieces of parchment paper, cut to fit the length and width of the pan, including the sides.

A Delicious, Quick and Simple Avocado Toast

Got 1/2 an avocado, a long piece of artisan whole grain bread and some fruit? Well then, you've got a great breakfast, lunch or snack, just waiting to happen!

Cut the bread in half and pop both pieces in the toaster then slice up part of an apple (orange, pear, banana)

When the toast pops up. put 1/4 of the avocado on each piece, mash lightly and season. I used Kinder's Garlic Salt and my blend of ground black+cayenne pepper. With a mug of steamy buckwheat tea, this was perfect!

By the way - buckwheat - despite its name - is gluten free, caffeine free and has some great health benefits. . .Lin

Pineapple Ginger Turmeric Yogurt Smoothie

I just wasn't feeling right this morning. My sweet pup and I went for a long walk in the sunshine which was wonderful, but didn't fix how I felt. I was also hungry and this sounded like a good option. I blended together:

5oz. whole milk plain Greek yogurt

5oz. frozen pineapple

a splash of pure vanilla

1T raw organic honey

about 1c -or so- of cold herb tea

~ I used Aldi's ginger turmeric

Not sure this will help with my current 'ick', but it was quick, easy and tasted great. Around 225 calories, if you're counting. . .

Pineapple contains bromelain which helps with inflammation and digestion. The yogurt can also help with gut issues. I think a blueberry version of this would also be excellent. . .Lin

Italian Flour Artisan Multi-Grain Bread

Again a reminder. . .baking artisan bread is pretty time intensive. It would be good to read all the way through this process so you're not surprised by that. Tonight, to save time tomorrow when this will come together, rise and bake, I measured and whisked all the dry ingredients into the big bowl. If you find a recipe you want to make on repeat, you can actually do that regularly. Or just whisk a batch or more of all the dry ingredients together, transfer to a big ziplock bag and you've saved yourself some time with the initial prep on bread baking day.

I met with an allergist recently and in conversing, we discovered we're both huge 'foodies.' He bakes all his family's bread and told me he only uses Italian flour since discovering that even people who are gluten sensitive have no problem digesting bread made from European grown grains. No GMO's or other preservatives that we allow here in America. This was inspiring. I did a little digging then decided on Caputo Chef's 00 Flour. From wheat grown, harvested and ground in Caputo, Italy. I've since discovered they have many different types of flour including bread flour. I'll probably have to order some of that soon.

2-1/2c Caputo Chef's 00 Flour

1/4c organic buckwheat flour

1/4c organic corn flour

3T Bob's Red Mill ground flax seed

3T Everything Bagel Seasoning

1-1/2t Himalayan pink salt

1/2t Bob's Red Mill active dry yeast

1-1/2c warm water

2T raw unfiltered honey

Whisk the first group of ingredients together in a big bowl. In a measuring container, mix the warm (110°) water and honey then stir in the active dry yeast. Let it sit 5-10 minutes to get foamy. Add this to the dry bowl mixing with a silicone spatula until the dough is shaggy but the flour is all incorporated. Transfer this to a sheet of wax paper. 

Wash the bowl then drizzle it with a generous amount of good quality EVOO. Put the dough back in the bowl, flipping it a couple times to get the surface completely oiled. Cover and let it rest on the counter, away from drafts, for 8-10 hours. If your kitchen is cool, like mine, it might be good to put it in your oven with the oven light on for just a tiny bit of warmth.

Put a 4 or 6 quart Dutch oven into the oven, set the temperature at 450° and preheat for 30 minutes. Use a 4 quart for a higher loaf, a 6 quart for a flat wide loaf.

While that's happening. . .turn the dough out onto a floured surface, forming it into a ball with floured hands. Cover with plastic or a large inverted bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. After this time elapses - working quickly - open the oven, and pull out the rack. Flour your hands again and put the dough ball into the hot Dutch oven. Cut a "slash" across the top, about 1/2" deep, with a very sharp serrated knife.

Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue baking another 10 minutes to brown up the top.

Cool completely before slicing.

This recipe creation might have just earned 'artisan bread favorite' status. .😊. .Lin

Antioxidant, Anti Inflammatory, Anti-Everything-Bad Smoothie

Well now, this was an interesting idea that turned out really well! Something I'll definitely make again.

Drop these into your blender container:

15 chunks± frozen pineapple

1c± Chobani whole milk plain Greek yogurt

1/2 can Bubbly

1/2 lemon - cut in chunks

1-1/2" fresh ginger - cut up

1-2T honey-fermented garlic

Be sure to blend this well on high since the garlic, ginger and lemon contain a lot of natural fiber. Pour into a big glass or mug and sip on it until it's gone.

This will be followed up later by the slow-steeped Buckwheat Tea I'm making right now in my all purpose, trusty Mr. Coffee. Contrary to its name - buckwheat is gluten and caffeine-free, and makes an excellent, healthy tea.


Be Adventurous - Create some healthy new food and drink options. Your body will thank you! . .Lin

Pineapple-Black Cherry Smoothie

I wasn't thinking of blogging this until I tasted it. So good! In your blender, combine the following.

frozen black cherries - maybe 20

frozen pineapple - 1-1/2c or more

about 1c of whole milk, plain Greek yogurt

1/2 a seedless lemon with the skin

~ ~ cut the lemon into several pieces ~ ~

a drizzle of honey

1/2 can of Bubbly

Blend and enjoy. . .Lin

Another Avocado Toast. . .

I bought a bag of 6 little avocados the other day and they're now just barely soft enough to mash. So naturally, I made avocado toast for breakfast this morning,  with the bread I made recently. It was really good! And this made enough to do it again tomorrow morning 😊

1 sm. avocado - mashed

3T chopped Vidalia onion

1/3 lg. tomato - chopped

2-3T lemon-EVOO vinaigrette 

Mix this together well and spread on your favorite toasted bread.

I added a sprinkle of my black+cayenne pepper blend and a little garlic salt to wake up all the flavors. The real fun of avocado toast is it can be made so many different ways. Be Adventurous! Happy Cooking. . .Lin

Asian Chicken Soup

Since my last similar post, I've decided I love this type of soup! This recipe is similar, just different amounts and a few added vegetables. Be careful not to go too heavy on the pepper, Chinese 5 Spice and star anise. Those seem to develop and intensify when reheated.

Start by slicing or chopping, then gently sauteing, the hard vegetables in some toasted sesame oil for 10 minutes to soften them a bit. 

3 med. carrots

4-5 dark green celery ribs

~ put the tops aside for later

12 or so Brussels sprouts

half a big purple shallot

Next add the other half of the chopped shallot and 1/3 of a red bell pepper, stir-saute this for about 5 minutes then add the chopped celery tops and seasonings. Start with small amounts then check the flavors and add more after simmering if needed. If you want a little sweetness, you can also add a tablespoon of honey.

garlic salt

Chinese 5 Spice

powdered star anise

black and cayenne pepper

Everything Bagel Seasoning

a big spoonful or two of chicken Better Than Bouillon

Stir and saute all this for several minutes, then add 2-3 quarts of water. Simmer 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are almost done the way you like them.

Add 10oz. of chopped roasted chicken, 2c frozen peas, and 4-1/2oz. of rice noodles. Stir gently and simmer another 5-10 minutes being careful not to overcook the noodles.

Mmmm. . .Soup's Ready. .😊. .Lin

Whole Grain, Seed-and-Flax Artisan Bread

Just so you know. . .baking artisan bread is pretty time intensive. It would be good to read all the way through this process so you're not surprised by that. Knowing that, I decided to have a late night and didn't start this process until noon today. . .

I've been looking for just the right recipe that fits the title I created for a special artisan bread. I found something similar but very basic. I used it as a guide for proportions, but I had to make many changes and additions - and came up with this.

In taking this photo, I realized it looks like a Bob's Red Mill ad! That wasn't intentional, but I've found the Red Mill products to be highly rated and they work well for me. When you find ingredients from one source, they often create a more predictable, quality product.

2-1/2c Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour

1/2c organic rye flour

3T Bob's Red Mill ground flax seed

2T Everything Bagel Seasoning

1-1/2t Himalayan pink salt

1/2t Bob's Red Mill active dry yeast

1-1/2c warm water

1T raw unfiltered honey

Whisk the first group of ingredients together in a big bowl. In a measuring container, mix the warm (110°) water and honey then stir in the active dry yeast. Let it sit 5-10 minutes to get foamy. Add this to the dry bowl mixing with a silicone spatula until the dough is shaggy but the flour is all incorporated. Transfer this to a sheet of wax paper. Wash the bowl then drizzle it with a generous amount of good quality EVOO. Put the dough back in the bowl, flipping it a couple times to get the surface completely oiled. Cover and let it rest on the counter, away from drafts, for 8-10 hours. If your kitchen is cool, like mine, it might be good to put it in your oven with the oven light on for just a tiny bit of warmth.

Preheat your oven to 450° Put a 4 or 6 quart Dutch oven into the oven for 30 minutes to preheat. Use a 4 quart for a higher loaf, a 6 quart for a flatter, wider loaf.

While that's happening. . .turn the dough out onto a floured surface, forming it into a ball with floured hands. Cover with plastic or a large inverted bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.

After this time elapses - working quickly - open the oven, and pull out the rack, flour your hands again and put the dough ball into the hot Dutch oven. Cut a "slash" across the top, about 1/2" deep, with a very sharp serrated knife.

Cover this with the lid and bake 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue baking another 10 minutes to brown up the top. Cool completely before slicing. . .Lin

Roasted Vegetable and Tomato Bisque

Preheat your oven to 375°. Scrub the vegetables then cut them in chunks into a big bowl. Drizzle with a generous amount of good quality extra virgin olive oil and season with a good seasoning blend. Pour onto a big baking sheet covered in parchment paper.

2 big carrots

1 green pepper

2 big celery stalks

1 sm.-med beet

1 big purple shallot

2 med. Yukon Gold potatoes

16oz. bone broth
28oz. San Marzano tomatoes

1 jar tomato pesto
1 can coconut milk

8-12oz.± water

Roast the vegetables 35-40 minutes until they're browned lightly. Put about half into your blender jar along with some bone broth and about half of the tomatoes. When well blended, pour into a 6 quart pot. Repeat until all the roasted vegetables, bone broth and tomatoes are well blended and in the big soup pot. Check the seasonings and add 1T sugar. Whisk in the coconut milk, tomato pesto and zest of one lemon. 

Top with some fresh chopped parsley, basil or dill.

This was really good with cottage cheese-almond flour-cheese biscuits I made the other day.

Ahhh soup! For me, 'soup season' is 12 months of the year. .😊. .Lin

Crunchy Chicken and Grape Salad

8oz. roasted chicken

2c quartered grapes

1 celery heart and tops
1/4 red bell pepper
3 green onions

Chop - slice everything into a medium bowl then add a good shake of black+cayenne pepper and garlic salt. A couple tablespoons of dijon mustard and enough olive oil mayonnaise to hold everything together.

Today this was lunch over baby arugula. You could also add a couple cups of cooked pasta for a Chicken Pasta Salad. I didn't originally think of chopped pecans or walnuts, but after having this for lunch, I'm going to add some to the rest of the salad. .😊. .Lin

Chicken Bone + Feet ('Paw') Broth

I've heard chicken feet - ('paws' - yes they were actually labeled Chicken Paws!) - make a lot of difference in the quality of bone broth when added to roasted chicken skin and bones then simmered in the usual way. Based on the jelling of this particular batch, I'd say that's correct.

I drizzled 5-1/2# of chicken thighs with EVOO then seasoned them with turmeric, Himalayan pink salt and my blend of black + cayenne pepper. They were roasted at 350° uncovered for almost an hour then added the chicken feet, basted everything and returned the pan to the oven for another 45 minutes. This pan of chicken thighs and feet looks SO weird! 

The next step was removing all the meat which totalled almost 2# and returning the skin, bones and the chicken feet to the roasting pan. Cover with fresh cold water, filling the pan to about the 2/3 point. Simmer this, covered on the stovetop, for 3-4 hours on a very low bubble.

Scoop out the solids and drain the liquid back to the pan. Strain this back and forth between 2 pans in increasingly smaller mesh strainers, removing all particles for a clearer broth. Throw away the skin and bones-secured as much as possible in a sturdy bag-in hopes of preventing animals from ingesting the bones. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

It was interesting to me that all the dark orange color from the turmeric settled into the fat, reminding me how our bodies store vitamin A and D in fat as opposed to vitamins B and C which are water soluble. I'll add a little of this to Oliver's food as well as use it to brown meat. I was very happy with the way it all scraped off from the chilled-jelled broth. You can see how solid it is with the spoon I used for that standing up in the pot!

The more bone broth jells when chilled, the more natural collagen it contains. Very good for old bones and joints, so my sweet old pup Oliver and I, hopefully, will both benefit from this.

Next, heat up the broth to steaming, but not boiling. Ladle it into clean jars. Seal and listen for the >ping< then put the sealed jars in the 'fridge.

Since these aren't canned the usual way they're not 'shelf stable' so need to be kept cold and used within a few weeks for soup base or as a nutritional supplement, warm broth, for you and your dogs. . .Lin

Tomato Avocado Toast

I'm not big on bread, so when I crave it, it's got to be something really healthy. I've been told I'm not sensitive to gluten, but today's gluten and grains are not the same as in our grandmother's day. With GMO's pesticides, etc. often we're getting more chemicals than nutrition. So. . .buy wisely. While I always prefer local bakery sourdough, multi-grain, or frozen Ezekiel Bread, this one is a commercially produced sourdough bread I found yesterday at Walmart! 

My leftover 1/2 avocado mashed up great with a couple tablespoons of EVOO and some Kinder's 'The Blend' seasoning mixed in, then also sprinkled on top of the sliced grape tomatoes.

With a big mug of Pipi Oolong Tea, and some grapes that can only be described as huge, flavorful and crunchy (!) yes, crunchy!

Ahhh, perfection!
Another delicious and healthy breakfast! . .Lin

Anti-Inflammatory Vegetable Smoothie

I made an amazing carrot-pineapple-lemon-cucumber version of this yesterday, but I didn't note proportions, so I'll work on recreating that soon. This one was a bit too heavy on the garlic, using 1 BIG raw clove for each serving, so I've modified that here. I steamed the chopped beet for about 7 minutes to reduce/eliminate oxalates. Those are high in raw beets and can cause kidney stones.

1 lg. beet

2 med. carrots

1 big seedless lemon
3-4 small cloves of garlic

3-4 1" pieces of fresh ginger
1 handful of baby arugula for each serving

1T raw honey for each serving

a sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt for each serving

Scrub the beet and cut into chunks. Steam it for about 7 minutes until a fork slips in and out of the pieces easier than when raw, but don't overcook. Scrub the lemon, carrots and ginger but don't peel anything except the garlic.

Cut the  blossom and stem section off the lemon. Cut the whole-unpeeled lemon and carrots in pieces and divide those into 2 or 3 containers (for another day) in addition to the blender jar. Add the garlic, ginger, arugula, then cover and refrigerate.

Before blending, add the honey, salt and start with 1c water, then adjust that amount to your desired consistency. . .Lin

Coconut Vanilla Raisin Ice Cream

I have a couple other recipes I should be blogging, but they're a little more involved than this one, so I'll get to those later. Meanwhile, here it is! The recipe I had rattling around my brain when I created the fruity sorbet-ice cream recently.

2/3c raisins

2T± pure vanilla

~ check the label, it may contain alcohol
~ if that's a concern, find a good vanilla that is alcohol free

1/2c dark brown sugar

1/2c unsweetened shredded coconut

1 can Thai Kitchen coconut milk

a shake or two of Himalayan pink salt

Soak the raisins in enough warm-hot water to cover in a flat dish - probably 1/3-1/2c - for at least a half hour.

While that's happening, stir together in a medium glass bowl, the coconut milk with the dark brown sugar until well combined and the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle on the salt and add the vanilla. After a half hour, using a silicone spatula, scrape this into your blender jar. Drain the raisins in a strainer for a few minutes, then into a freezer container.

Blend the milk-sugar-salt-vanilla for a minute or so. Pour over the raisins, stir everything together well. Freeze for a couple hours then stir to mix everything so the raisins don't stay at the bottom. Freeze another hour or two until it's scoopable.

This is the first ice cream I've made that didn't freeze rock hard after the first serving! . .Lin

Avocado Toast

I woke up really hungry this morning and since I have an abundance of avocados right now, this is what happened. I also have a great 7 grain bread I bought recently, at our little neighborhood grocery store, so this all came together quickly.

If you have a ripe avocado and some wonderful bread, you're halfway there!

1/2 a ripe avocado

a splash of ranch dressing

garlic-salt-pepper seasoning

1 lg. radish

3-4 grape tomatoes

In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the dressing and seasoning. Add the finely chopped radish and tomatoes. Stir together and spread over your favorite toasted bread.

The variety of vegetables, dressing and seasonings you can use are endless. . .

Have fun with this — Be creative! . . . Lin

Fruity Sorbet Ice Cream (dairy free)

Every so often I get a new idea for something healthy to replace ice cream. This one has a lot of flavor and texture. Not smooth like ice cream - more like a combination of that and sorbet.

Use perfect fruit!

Wash it all well and remove the strawberry leaves. Cut the tips and stem area off the lemon and mandarin, then cut them lengthwise to take out the center core area. Chop the lemon and mandarin into chunks to be sure there are no seeds, but leave the peel on.

Pour the coconut milk into your blender jar. Add 1/3 - 1/2 cup of Maple syrup, the chopped fruit and blend on high a couple minutes. Pour this into an ice cube tray, pint containers or a loaf pan. 

Freeze only until the whole mixture is solid before serving. Beyond that point, you'll have to leave it out on the counter before scooping since this freezes very hard.

One of my favorite ice creams is Häagen-Dazs Rum Raisin. I might try duplicating that using coconut milk, raisins, Maple Syrup and Mexican vanilla. LOTS of vanilla since I really don't want a big bottle of rum. If that turns out well, I'll post it here. . .Lin

A Light, Healthy Asian Chicken-Vegetable-Noodle Soup

I've been wanting to perfect something like this for a long time. In the past I've had a hard time getting the noodles and the spices right. This might be the one!

I knew I wanted to cook the noodles separately and rinse and chill them well before adding them to pot, rather than just cooking them right in the soup. This way the broth would stay clear and less starchy.

I did that with the noodles shown, then decided they just weren't right. Instead I used 3-4oz. of dry, thinner rice noodles that look more like 'glass noodles' than the first ones. It was a good switch!

Once the noodles are lightly cooked, drained and chilling in ice water, slice the vegetables into the pot and get them sizzling in 2T single source EVOO:

2 med. purple carrots

1 med. white carrot

1/4 sm. head of green cabbage

3 inner ribs of celery (and tops)

5 green onions

After those sizzle a bit, add a little water and a big spoonful - 1/3c or so - of chicken Better Than Bouillon. Let that simmer about 10 minutes then add the celery tops and 1/2 a bunch of curly parsley, chopped. Stir in the following seasonings and add more water.

1t black+cayenne pepper

2t Chinese 5 Spice

1-2t powdered Star Anise

Once the vegetables are crisp-tender, drain and add the noodles and 6-8oz. roasted chicken. Chill the soup now if you're cooked ahead, or just bring it up to a light simmer once more and serve. This isn't a soup you put on low and cook all day. Keep it lightly cooked and fresh. It's a really nice spring soup!

Earlier I had a bowl with a crispy grilled sandwich. I used 7 grain bread with lacy Swiss and American cheese, spread inside with Aldi's tomato pesto, then fried in EVOO. It was a surprisingly great combination! . .Lin

A Fresh and Bitter Passover Salad

Our evening Bible study has some amazing people in it. It was decided that we would have a Passover Seder dinner on our usual Wednesday night get together last week to more clearly understand and celebrate this Jewish tradition. We all signed up to bring food or other elements important to the Passover traditions.

I loved the idea of making a big salad for all of us. My online search indicated it should include fresh spring green ingredients - as hopeful signs, as well as the bitter ones - as reminders of the time the Israelis were in the bondage of slavery in Egypt.

For salad dressing, the type they recommended was almost identical to the Lemon-EVOO Salad Dressing I created years ago! I've revised that one a bit to now be a 2-1 ratio of EVOO-Lemon juice, a splash of white Balsamic vinegar and varying the seasonings depending on the salad, time of year, or what's in your spice cabinet at the moment. 

I recently ordered some special soap made with olive oil from the area near Israel. I'm really interested in all uses of extra virgin olive oil (lotions, soaps, etc.) after reading of its health benefits.

In my kitchen, I've now almost completely eliminated other oils, butter and ghee, switching to this amazing liquid 'fat' for all my cooking and baking. So. . .I wondered if there was any EVOO produced in that area that was available online. Yes there was! I found some made from olives in an olive grove only 50 miles north of The Mount of Olives!

I chopped-sliced the vegetables shown in the bowl in the first photo. Green cabbage, kale, radishes, cucumbers, purple cabbage, green onions, some purple onion, celery - heart stalks and tops. I also bought a beautiful bunch of parsley, washed it - wrapped it in a clean dish towel, put it in the 'fridge - then totally forgot to use it. 

For dressing this salad, I used the oil in the bottle on the right in the 2nd photo above, putting all the ingredients into a quart jar, starting with that 2-1 ratio - 1c of EVOO and 1/2c of lemon juice. Next add: dry dill, garlic-fermented in honey, some brown mustard, Himalayan pink salt and a mix of black and cayenne pepper. The mustard was instead of horseradish which is a traditional part of a Seder dinner for bitterness. The garlic honey was both bitter and sweet. Once everything is in the jar, blend it with an immersion blender until totally smooth. I hope you all had a very Happy Easter or Passover. . .Lin