Monthly Archives: April 2012

spelt pasta with gremolada

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

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I have been making my own pasta for quite a few years now have been having a lot of fun experimenting with various recipes. Now that I am milling my own flours, my pasta will be even more fresh and flavorful. This spelt pasta was my first experiment using the spelt flour that we milled just minutes before with our WonderMill. If you’ve never tried fresh pasta (not including store-bought, which has preservatives), it is worth either making your own or taking a special trip to the farmers market to get some!

Spelt Pasta

about 2-¾ cups spelt flour

3 medium eggs

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Place the eggs and oil in the mixer bowl and attach the flat beater. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add the flour a little at a time just until the dough begins to form a ball (you may not need the full amount of flour). Exchange the flat beater for the dough hook and knead at medium speed for 5 to 8 minutes, and a smooth, elastic dough has formed. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces, wrap with plastic wrap and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Attach the pasta roller to the mixer and adjust to setting 1. Pass the dough through the roller at low speed (dust with flour first if dough is sticky), then fold in half. Do this four or five times. When the dough is no longer sticky, adjust setting to 2 and roll the pasta through. Do not fold in half this time. Continue rolling the dough through four to five times at each setting until the desired thinness is reached. Place on a clean tea towel or over a pasta rack. Repeat with the other portions of dough.

Change pasta roller for the desired pasta cutter attachment. Feed the flat pasta dough through the cutter and place back on clean tea towels or over a pasta rack. Pasta dough can be frozen, dried or cooked immediately in a pot of salted, boiling water.

Gremolada

Grated zest from 2 large lemons (about 2 teaspoons)

Grated zest from 1 orange (about 2 teaspoons)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1-½ teaspoons lemon juice

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 pound pasta (linguini, fettuccini, capallini, etc.)

In a glass jar, add the grated lemon and orange zests, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil. Cover the jar with the lid and shake vigorously to mix. Let stand until ready to use. (Can be made the day before.)

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until just done. Drain and toss with the sauce. If desired, add parmesan cheese, capers, olives, minced and cooked Italian sausage or anchovies. Enjoy!

Resources:

Halsey, K. (2003). The Essential Mixer Cookbook: 150 Effortless Recipes For Your Stand Mixer and All of its Attachments. London: Quintet Publishing Ltd.

Hill, J. (1996). Food & Wine Magazine’s Quick From Scratch: Pasta. New York: American Express Publishing Corporation.

milling flour at home… my new favorite thing!

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in buy local, cook, handmade

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I have been wanting to mill my own flour for 20 years! It began when I lived up in Inuvik, NT and tasted my friend/employer, Judy’s freshly baked whole wheat buns. She made her bread with flour that she had milled just minutes before making the dough and they were the tastiest little breads with a lovely texture and a bit of a nutty flavor.

Finally just last week, after 20 years of thinking about it, planning for ‘someday’… we bought a WonderMill. It was my visit with my wonderful sister-in-law Laurie last month that set things in motion. She demonstrated using her NutriMill and I got to see how quick and easy it is to mill flour from spelt. Then I got to taste Laurie’s spelt buns, spelt pie crust (pumpkin pie, yum!), breakfast cookies, spelt tortillas and spelt pancakes– all of which were delicious!

Inspired (and craving more spelt bread!) we did a bit of research and decided on the WonderMill (pictured above). We wanted to support a local Alberta business and found a place in Cochrane, Alberta called Briden Solutions that carried both the mill and the grains we wanted. (By the way, Briden specializes in ’emergency preparedness’ and carry an extensive range of home and kitchen products including water filtration, oils, beans, whole grains, many of which are organic. They also have an informative blog called Briden’s Guide to Preparedness which features in-depth articles on their products and tips for being prepared for unexpected events.)

Through Briden, we also bought 50 lb bags of organic red heard spring wheat and organic spelt (great for breads), both from Grainworks, a certified organic farm. (Grainworks was first homesteaded on Alberta land in 1912 before moving to Saskatchewan in 1939. They have been certified organic since 1988.)

You can also cook these ‘wheat berries’ and then add them to soups and salads as an alternative to quinoa, orzo, barley or millet.

The grains take only about a minute to mill (longer if you’re milling a larger batch).

Here is the beautiful, fragrant red wheat flour ready for baking! We made a whole wheat bread with this batch.

Here is the organic spelt…

Like the wheat, you can cook the ‘berries’ and add to soups and salads.  You can also sprout these grains and make sprouted grain breads (both with or without flour). I will be trying this soon and will post the recipe.

Here is the lovely freshly milled spelt flour. We made homemade fettucini with this batch. (I will post that recipe tomorrow.)

With more people choosing to live healthier lifestyles or in response to developing allergies or an intolerance to “commercial wheat”, as in the overly processed, hybrid wheat and products made from this wheat (very difficult to digest), ancient grain and whole grain flours have become a more popular choice. It is no surprise that they make a much flavorful food source. Artisan breads made from ancient and whole grains can be found in most bakeries and for those of us whole enjoy baking it ourselves, freshly milled flours can be found at health food stores, gourmet food stores and local farmer’s markets (i.e. through Gold Forest Grains at the Strathcona Farmer’s Market in Edmonton and coming soon to the Kingsland Farmers Market in Calgary and the Grand Prairie’s Farmers Market).

I look forward to learning more about ancient grains and whole grain flours and experimenting with these flours in the kitchen here at cabinorganic. I look forward to supporting local farmers and sustainable farming practices. I look forward to learning more about the nutritional benefits in milling my own flours and sharing my flours and breads with friends and neighbors. Mostly, I simply look forward to the delicious taste and smell of fresh, home-baked breads that are highly nutritious as well as delicious!

P.S. By the way, I am sure Judy is still baking her famous bread! If you’re ever planning a visit to Inuvik, Northwest Territories, consider staying at the Arctic Chalet. Book a tour with Judy and Olav, go for a ride over the tundra with Judy and her dog teams in winter or go canoeing or kayaking in the summer and enjoy the high Arctic in style!

blueberry oat bran muffins

09 Monday Apr 2012

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I sometimes eat oat bran as hot cereal in the morning and really like the taste of it. I recently found this muffin recipe at Chocolate & Zucchini and loved how they turned out. Add some of those wild berries you picked last summer (I added some frozen Saskatoon berries) and serve with your wild berry jams and jellies.

Blueberry Oat Bran Muffins

1 cup oat bran (preferably organic; wheat bran may be substituted)

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar

1 cup blueberries (no need to thaw them if frozen)

1 cup plain yogurt (buttermilk can be substituted)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use extra-virgin sunflower oil)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 eggs, at room temperature

Makes about 12 muffins.

Preheat the oven to 360°F and line a 12-muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bran, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar, until no lump remains. Add the blueberries and toss gently to combine.

In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, and fold it in gently with a spatula until no trace of flour remains. The mixture will be lumpy, but resist over-mixing.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling each muffin mold by about three quarters (to minimize the mess, use a spring action ice cream scoop. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until set and golden. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Easter crafts with friends

08 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in make it

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On Good Friday I received a phone call from my good friend, E. She had an Easter craft and could the kids come over to make it with me? E, J arrived first and the three of us followed E along as she modeled how to make pom poms. Later the boys, M and M arrived. We had a great afternoon, chatting, getting caught up on each other’s lives while we did our craft. By the end of our time together we each had a bunny and a chick to take along with us.

E demonstrates wrapping yarn around a round cardboard template (made from two identical pieces of cardboard)…

Once the template is about three quarters of the way covered in yarn you cut through the edge and tie another length of yarn around it to secure it. Click here for a video demonstration that I found on youtube if you’d like to make your own.

Spending time with friends and family this weekend was the perfect way to celebrate the Easter weekend!

it’s beginning to look a lot like…. Christmas?

05 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in appreciate the seasons, Pigeon Lake

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So there I was yesterday, enjoying the reasonably warming temperatures so welcomed in April… In the mood for some spring-cleaning chores, I tidied and swept out the garage, then washed and vacuumed the interior of my truck. I kept eyeing the herb and tea garden in the front as it was entirely free of snow but as I had other projects to attend to, I decided to save it for another day. There was a spring in my step as I daydreamed about this year’s garden and all of the exciting plans we have for it…

Then… this morning, I awoke to THIS:

Actually, it’s all good! In central Alberta, Canada this is quite normal (we’ve even had snow in July in the past!) and I am happy for more moisture. I’ll start some seeds indoors soon and that will give me something to grow while I wait for the weather to catch up.

Happy Easter, everyone! Keep warm!

carrot cake (or apple cake)

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

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I had a craving for carrot cake the other day and wanted to share the recipe with you. I usually don’t frost the cake (if it’s just for me) and this time around I added a handful of raisons and then poured the batter into stoneware muffin pans for individual little cakes. This recipe can easily be turned into an Apple Cake simply by substituting apples for the carrots. I included two optional frosting recipes below.

Carrot Cake

1-½ cups organic sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 cups shredded carrots (about 5 medium)

1 cup nuts, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease and flour rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Mix sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until blended. Stir in remaining ingredients except carrots and nuts. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour into pan.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting if desired.

Apple Cake

Substitute 3 cups chopped apple (about 3 medium) for the carrots). Frost with Caramel Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, milk and vanilla in medium bowl on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and of spreading consistency. Frosts a 13×9-inch cake or fills and frosts two 8- or 9-inch cake layers.

Caramel Frosting

½ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup milk

2 cups brown sugar

Heat butter over medium heat  in a small saucepan until melted. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling then remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm.

Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Place saucepan of frosting in a bowl of cold water. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. If frosting becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Frosts a 13×9-innch cake or fills and frosts two 8- or 9-inch cake layers.

Resource:

Zeman, A. (1991). Betty Crocker’s 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook. New York: Prentice Hall

Asian chicken broth

03 Tuesday Apr 2012

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I prefer to make my own flavorful stocks (broths) using organic ingredients and freeze them for soups and sauces. This recipe is one of my favorites, found in a Martha Stewart Living magazine over 16 years ago. This particular stock is particularly good for Asia soups. Just add your favorite Asian noodles and vegetables (cook the noodles separately). I like to add fried tofu, beef and fish balls (both found in your local Chinese grocery store), suey choy or bok choy and daikon. I rarely make the recipe as written. Instead, I use it as a guide and just use whatever I currently have in the fridge and pantry, or whatever happens to be fresh in the garden.

Asian Chicken Stock

2 lbs chicken necks and back

1 chicken (about 3 ½ lbs)

2 large leeks, white and green parts only

½ ounce dried Chinese mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups Japanese sake or white wine

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 large onions, peeled and quartered

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

2 parsnips, scrubbed and coarsely chopped

1 head garlic, cut in half widthwise

½ acorn squash, peeled and diced

½ lb shitake mushrooms, stems attached, cut in half

4 ounces fresh ginger, thinly sliced

1 stalk fresh lemongrass, thinly sliced

3 large carrots, scrubbed and chopped

For the Bouquet Garni:

1o pieces flat-leafed parsley

10 sprigs fresh cilantro, including stem and roots

10 whole black peppercorns

10 whole Szechuan peppercorns

1 whole coriander seeds

2 whole star anise

Remove excess fat from the chicken. Cut the chicken into quarters and rinse with cold water.

Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and slice into 1-inch lengths. Place the leeks in a bowl and fill with cold water. Allow to soak for 5-10 minutes to rid them of dirt and sand. Lift them out of the water and set aside.

Place the dried mushroom in a small bowl and add 1 cup of very hot water. Let sit until the mushrooms soften, about 20 minutes. Lift the mushrooms out of the liquid and set aside in a bowl. Reserve the liquid.

Make a bouquet garni by arranging the ingredients in the center of a piece of cheesecloth and tying with cotton kitchen string. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a 12-quart pot over medium low heat. Add all vegetables except the ginger and lemongrass. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to high, add the sake and reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken parts, reserved mushroom liquid and the bouquet garni. Cover with 4 quarts of cold water. Bring to a boil, skim and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours, 15 minutes. Add ginger and lemongrass and simmer for 45 more minutes. Remove pot from heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

saying goodbye to March…

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in appreciate the seasons

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Note: I have been having a few issues with my internet connection these past few days. Please bear with me as I share this post from a few days ago!

It’s that in-between season again. That time when there is still lot of snow to ski on as long as you don’t mind walking or ‘portaging’ over patches of grass here and there! The days have been quite warm this week and certain areas of the cross country ski trails are getting narrower and narrower each day!

In the shady areas there is still a good snowpack to ski on!

Lucy is also enjoying the last days of snow to the fullest…

…rolling around in some invisible smell…

…ahhhhh….

…the good life!!!

When I returned home from the morning ski, this little redpoll was sitting in the driveway. I am wondering if it is a Hoary Redpoll (a rare species) or if it is a young Common Redpoll who hasn’t developed it’s chest colors yet…?

April is now here and soon it will be springtime. The days are longer and I am longing to plant seeds and get my hands dirty in the garden. It has been an enjoyable and cozy winter here at cabinorganic and I truly am enjoying these last few days of skiing for this season… However, I am ready for spring!