Cultured Coconut Milk Yogort

Ok so I am finally coming out of Blog Hibernation specifically to let you all know that YOU, yes YOU can make your very own healthy cultured pro biotic coconut milk yogurt in 24hrs or less!! ..... Booyah !!

I have recently ventured into the arts of fermentation, some call it cultured foods, but I kinda like saying cultured, fermented just sounds .. well .. fermented  ! ( tee hee )

I recently made 6 1 Litre jars of Kim chi.  Kim chi is basically spicy seasoned fermented veggies consisting of cabbage, and or bok choy, onions, garlic, ginger and radishes.  You can really do any veggies you like, but as long as you have cucumber or cabbage you are set.  Cabbage and cucumber have the healthy bacterias that allow your food to ferment/culture safely and create super duper healthy delicious foods.  In mine I added Cucumber, cabbage, yellow onions, radishes, garlic, ginger, carrots and cauliflower.

A great source I used when making my Kim chi was this:

http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=vegetables

Sandor Katz has a wealth of knowledge and info on fermenting foods, he even has videos on YouTube showing you how to make your own fermented veggies and Kim chi :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i77hU3zR-fQzz

Ok so back to YOGURT, making your own yogurt that is.  This was seriously the simplest and most satisfying thing I have made in a very long time.  How awesome is it that you can make super healthy yogurt in less that a day !!! 

I had been buying So Delicious' dairy free Kosher Coconut milk yogurt, sure its great and all but I was tired of buying it and like I always say and do is; when you can make it yourself .. just do it !!

There are a couple things to know and have on hand first:

1. Coconut Products:
You can use Young Thai coconut, found at popular grocery stores and any Asian food markets. I like using the real coconuts, because they have never been treated or cooked, raw coconut meal with its water is SO delicious and beneficial it is the best option. If you can't find real coconuts, you can use canned coconut milk, Native Forest is in a BPA free can, but any canned coconut milk will work as long as you use the full fat kind, at least 15% or more, I like using the 18% fat cans. Remember this is not "bad fat" we are talking about this is beautiful luscious coconut cream.  Lastly you can use a coconut milk sold in cartons but this will yield a slightly thinner yogurt.

2. Starters/Pro biotics:
Now again this is all your choice, you can use a cultured live`yogurt as your starter, all you need is a tbsp of live cultured yogurt to add to your batch. You can also use a pre-made yogurt starter, it has live cultures in it already, but these can be costly and hard to find sometimes, your best bet is to look online or in health foods stores.  Then there is Pro biotic, these are great, this is why we eat yogurt int he first place is because of its lovely cultured Pro biotic in it. Make sure to find a dairy free Pro-biotic, these are really found anywhere, but to get a quality dairy free one, can take some time but is well worth the effort if you will be making yogurts or anything else cultured.

Ok so now that we know a little about cultured and fermented foods and what we are going to be using.... LET'S MAKE SOME YOGURT !!!!!  I can't stop saying that .. "I MADE YOGURT !"

Cultured Coconut "Yogurt"

4 Young Thai Coconuts
1/2 - 1 cup of coconut water
2 tbsp raw honey or Quality Maple syrup
1 dairy Free Pro biotic capsule

Chop the top off of your coconut, reserve all the water form them into a separate bowl. Scrape out all of the coconut meat and reserve into another bowl.  Once your coconut meat is cleaned and there are no bark pieces on it, chop finely and place into your blender.  On your highest setting blend the coconut meat until it it as smooth as you can get it, this make take some trys, I kept stopping and scraping the sides down. Once your coconut meat is pureed add the honey or maple syrup and a little bit of coconut water at a time, its best to start by adding 1/4 at a time until you reach your desired consistency.  Blend this up now until it is creamy smooth. Now once you have your desired texture and thickness add in you starter or Pro biotic of choice. Pulse in your blender just until combined then pour into a large mason jar, do not fill to the top as it will expand overnight.  You may have to separate into 2 Mason jars, only fill your jars 2/3 of the way full.  once your jar(s) are full place in a warm environment, I placed mine on my shelf in my kitchen where all my glasses sit. My kitchen is the warmest place as I always have something cooking !!  And there it is, you have just made yogurt, now let it sit over night and once you wake you can marvel at your own handy work and eat a delicious healthy bowl of coconut milk yogurt made by your hands !!! 

*  You do not have to use Young Thai coconuts or honey or Pro biotics, you can use 3 cans of full fat coconut milk or even less if you want to try a small batch first, you can use a yogurt starter also, this is a easy recipe to change up, just as long as you let it sit for 24hrs, and use some sort of coonut

Top it with some honey, nuts, seeds, fresh or frozen fruit, even granola... the possibilities are endless.

I will be making some Almond Coconut Milk yogurt for the next batch and will blog that one too. !! Just for y'all !!

It was so tangy and wonderful, because I used real coconuts mine had a little piece of coconut here and there, which was wonderful to me !



I hope you try it, and please any comments, questions and concerns just comment below and let me know.  And if you try it let me know how and what you used and how you liked it.


Love Sierra
Enjoy !

Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

Ok so I love Shepherds Pie, even more so I love this rich Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie even more. I have to say it is one of my most like comfort foods ... EVER !
The addition of sweet potatoes just makes this dish for me, just a hint of natural sweetness brings this dish to a whole new dimension !

Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

Meat Mixture :
1 lbs ground beef
1 onion diced
3 garlic cloves
1 package dry onion soup mix
3 cups water
3 cups frozen mixed veggies

Stuffing :
4 cups cubed dry bread
1 onion diced
1 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika
1/4 melted butter

Topping :
6 cups cubed sweet potatoes
1/2 mayo
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt and pepper

First start by boiling sweet potatoes till tender.
Meanwhile, saute up beef and onion in skillet till cooked and tender, add Lipton soup package, garlic cloves and 3 cups water, begin to simmer meat and onions mixture in soup mix till nicely reduced and it has formed a juicy gravy, remember to stir often
Mix cubed bread with diced onions, add melted butter making sure to coat all bread add seasonings until all mixed thoroughly, set aside.
Mash cooked sweet potatoes with mayo, sugar and salt and pepper, with electric mixer until all combined and lumps are gone.
Add frozen veggie to meat mix and pour into bottom of casserole dish, layer with stuffing evenly then top with Sweet potato mash.

Bake at 375 for 20 mins.


* Serve with cranberry sauce, gravy or as is !



Stuffing On top of meat mixture

Meat mixture with juicy gravy and veggies



Love Sierra

Fish cakes

I love salmon and tuna cakes.  I think they are a perfect little snack !
I like eating them as is with tar tar sauce, in a wrap with lettuce and mixed veggies, on the side with rice, or for a special treat we eat them as burgers for a wonderful little fish burger ! So tasty !





Fish cakes

2 tins tuna ( or Salmon ) drained
1 green onion chopped
1/2 dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp relish
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, and form into about 8 cakes or so, i usually try to go for 8 nice sized fish cakes.
Heat skillet with a little oil and fry  4- 5 mins on medium heat then flip and continue cooking for another 4 - 5 mins till done and crispy. Serve with tartar sauce or any way you like them !


Tar Tar Sauce

1/3 cup mayo
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp relish
dash of hot sauce

mix everything up till all combined !




* Try serving them with a side salad, or in a wrap with lettuce and veggies, as a burger with you best toppings or with rice.




Love Sierra

My Little Taste Of Greece

Lately I have been travelling around the country via my kitchen ! I asked my Husband where He wanted to go this week and he said Greece.. no sooner than He said Greece was I off and running looking for some lemons, garlic, olive oil and Oregano... Basically staples in the Greek kitchen.
There are so many lovely dishes from Greece, these are just 4 I decided to try. I hope you like them.







 Spanikopita

1 onion diced
4 cloves garlic
1 large bunch of fresh spinach ( or frozen )
lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 egg
2/3 cup goat milk feta cheese
1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
salt and pepper to taste
Phyllo dough
melted butter

Sauteed Onions, garlic, spinach

First start by thawing out your phyllo dough in the package it comes in till it reaches room temperature.
Saute onion till soft, add garlic, salt and pepper. Add spinach toss around till onions and garlic are mixed with wilted spinach, cook 2 mins, add lemon zest and dill, let cool slightly.
Meanwhile prepare your phyllo dough, lay sheets out on flat surface, cover with a damp cloth as phyllo will dry out very quickly. Melt butter and set aside.
Once Spinach mixture has cooled slightly add egg, dill and feta, stir till all combined.
Start by laying one sheet of phyllo and crushing entire sheet with melted butter, add another sheet directly on top and repeat butter process, do this step until you have 5 layers of phyllo brushed with butter. Do This twice, so now you will have 2 sets of 5 layers of phyllo brushed with butter.  Evenly distribute the spinach mix at the end of both sheets leaving room at the edges for folding.  Fold sides over spinach mix to seal them up, then roll your pastry tightly to form a log. slice half way through in 2 inch intervals to make it easier for cutting once baked, use left over butter and brush logs with butter. Bake at 375* for 15 - mins or until tops are golden brown and crispy.

Yellow Rice

2 cups parboiled or basmati rice

4 cups water

4 tbsp vegetable soup base

1 tbsp turmeric

1 cup diced mushrooms

1 red pepper diced

1 onion diced

1 carrot grated

3 garlic cloves

Preheat oven to 375*

Saute onions, carrots, peppers, mushrooms till tender, add salt and oregano, turmeric and garlic, saute 2 more mins. Add to large casserole dish, add 2 cups rice and 4 cups water and vegetable base, stir till all combined.  Cover with lid or tinfoil, bake 30 mins, then stir at 30 min. point and remove lid, cook remaining 15 - 20 mins. until rice is done and fluffy.

Lemon Roasted Chicken

4 lemons

1 roaster chicken

6 garlic cloves

1 small onion

1 small bunch of parsley

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Chop onions, garlic, mix with salt and pepper juice of 2 lemons and 3 tbsp olive oil.

Rub all over chicken generously. Stuff chicken with remaining lemon wedges and parsley.

Bake at 375* for 45 - 60 mins until chicken is done and brown yummy and crispy !

Cucumber Tomato and Feta Salad

1 small cucumber peeled and cubed

3 plum tomatoes cubed

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup diced red pepper

1/2 cup diced yellow pepper

1 cup crumbled goats milk feta

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together until all is coated in lemon juice, finish off with some fresh parsley or dried oregano

I hope you enjoyed these recipes and decide to try these fro your families one day !

Love Sierra

20 Minuite Jam

Ok so I love Jam, but I do not love Jam from stores, never really have. I find it WAY too sweet, and some have WAY too many preservatives in it, and not to mention things that just don't need to be there; i.e food colors.  Personally I love the look of REAL natural Jam, especially a fruit blend Jam, every batch is a different color, its refreshing and satisfying seeing the "fruits" ( tee hee ) of your labor come out the way they were intended.
Did you know that you do not need to use artificial pectin, that a simple granny smith apple or really apple for that matter will do. Adding one apple to your jam batch will give you enough NATURAL pectin to set up your batch of jam.  This is why I love making homemade Jam and preserves. Its so simple and super tasty. Adding apple gives you alot of base flavor, ever wonder why sometimes jam is heavy tasting, way too sweet, or too sticky, its because, there is like 4 .. really 4 - 6 cups of sugar in a  regular batch of Jam, that blows my mind ! The sugar is needed to activate the synthetic pectin, ... so `They`say but you see when you remove the artificial pectin, and add a apple or two you are not only reducing the sugar dramatically you are enhancing your Jams flavor, quality, nutritional value and making a lighter tasting Jam. Apples in Jam do a world of wonder !
I never make huge batches cause this style is so easy, I simply make enough for a month or so, usually never lasts that long, we end up eating it on bread, buns, oatmeal, pancakes, muffins, ice cream and anything else we can find ( tee hee ) .
Oh and I think I should mention, that heavy tasting Jam comes from not having a balance in it, every thing sweet needs a bit of zing to balance it out, add some lemon, lime, or orange zest to your Jams to brighten the flavor, you will be surprised at what a tablespoon or two can do to  your jam... Just try it ... Trust me :)


Apple Strawberry Peach Jam

3 cups cut up washed strawberries
2 apples diced washed and peeled
3 - 4 peaches diced washed and peeled ( depending on size )
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
zest from 2 oranges

Combine everything in a large stock pot, and bring to a boil, once boiled, simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
If you like a chunky jam leave it as is, if you like a less chunky jam, while your jam is simmering take a potato masher and mash the fruit every so often to break it up, most of the fruit does that naturally through the cooking process, but you can mash it to your liking.
Once Jam has reduced, and the majority of the liquid has evaporated, or jam has come to your desired texture, take off heat and allow to cool.
Store in glass jar or Tupperware, lasts for 1 - 2 months.. if you can keep it around that long :)

Diced up fruit ... Yum !

Simmering fruit, I used a masher to get a semi chunky Jam

Jam on toast ... Yum again !

You can try this with any fruit you want, Jam no longer has to be intimidating, or time consuming.. Take 20 mins. out of your day, diced up whatever fruit you have on hand, add a big or citrus zest sugar and water and get r done !  I promise you will be shocked and possibly a little addicted to a healthier yummier easier hand made Jam !





Love Sierra



The Perfect Oatmeal Cookie !

Ok so I love oatmeal, I love all things oatmeal ! 
I especially love Oatmeal cookies, these are my Oatmeal coconut chocolate chip cookies !
This is a wonderful recipe, its soft, chewy, tender flattens out like a lace cookie, its just perfect ! 
You can adapt it to use what you havee on hand, thats why i like it so much, you can add raisins, walnuts, pecans, really anything you want.





Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies


1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Mix together your butter and sugars until creamed, add eggs and vanilla till combined, stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts.  Stir in flour baking soda, salts and oats until all mixed thoroughly.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet or parchment paper lined baking tray, bake for 13 mins at 325* after done let sit on tray for 2 mins before moving to cooling rack.

Variations

• Try adding 1 cup of chopped trail mix
• Add 1 1/2 cups of raisins and 1 tbsp of cinnamon
• Try 1 cup od chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of peanut better and use only 3/4 butter instead
• Use 1 cup of dried cranberries, 2/3 cup walnuts and  3/4 white chocolate chips
• Try 1 cup mixed dried fruit, 1 cup chopped nuts and 1 cup chocolate chips for a perfect fruit nut n chocolate oatmeal cookie

Oatmeal cookies are so great, they are healthy, tasty and can be adapted to whatever you have on hand, thats why I love this recipe.

Try em out on your family, I know you won't have just one !

Love Sierra

Pancakes anyone ?

Who doesn't love pancakes ?
I make alot of pancakes, especially for my children. I like that they freeze perfectly and are a perfect healthy snack when made right. I make big batches when its pancake day, then freeze them for easy access.  What I also like about pancakes is that they are so versatile, you can add any fruit, use any flour, pretty much add anything you want to them.  You can make them sweet, savory healthy and just plain ol' yummy !

• Try adding fresh or frozen diced fruit to your pancake batter or try dropping it onto your cooking pancake on the uncooked side, so when you flip it the fruit will show through on the other side.
• Experiment with toppings, use warm applesauce, powdered sugar, drizzle honey, or try using fresh fruit instead of syrups.
• To make your pancakes healthier, try substituting the flour for whole wheat instead of white, or add in 1/2 cup or oats or bran for added fiber.
• Cut the sugar in half in your recipes, you really don't need that much, especially when using a sweet topping.
• To add a natural sweetness, add grated apple, pear, carrot, sweet potato, or any fresh fruit instead of sugars, it makes for a healthierer pancake

Below are my families best requested pancakes for breakfast, I always have some on hand either in the fridge or frozen for a quick easy breakfast or snack.


Apple cinnamon Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cups milk
1 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated apple

Combine all ingredients together until mixed, do not over mix, let sit for 10 mins before pouring onto hot griddle.  Add some oil to your skillet and cook on medium to low heat for 6 mins or so or until browned nicely flip and do the same until cooked through, these pancakes are a bit dense, so you want to cook on a lower heat to cook through, on a higher heat will burn the outside and under cook the inside.  Serve with warmed applesauce, maple syrup, powdered sugar or a fresh apple topping.
* Sometimes if I am out of apple I use pear in place of grated apple.


Banana Pancakes with Strawberry topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tablespoon white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1 tbsp vanilla

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 ripe bananas, mashed

Combine all ingredients together until mixed thoroughly, do not over mix.

Heat skillet to medium heat, add a bit of oil and pour into pan, cook for about 4 - 6 mins on one side then flip and continue to cook til done. Serve with fresh bananas, maple syrup, strawberry topping, or powdered sugar.

Fresh Strawberry topping

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries cut up

1 tbsp water

1/2 cup sugar

Add all ingredients into sauce pan and cook on medium - high heat, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, and continue to cook for 10 - 15 mins, or just until sauce thickens and reduces to a nice syrup, serve warm or ice cream, pancakes or anything else to make a yummy fresh quick topping.

* Sometimes if I am out of apple I use pear in place of grated apple.

You can do this with blueberries, raspberries, just about any fruit you want.

Carrot cake pancakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat

1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg, cinnamon and ground ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups  grated carrot

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix thoroughly, do not over mix.
Let sit for 10 mins before cooking.
Heat skillet to medium heat, adding a bit of oil, pour into skillet and cook 3 - 5 mins on each side. Serve with maple syrup, warmed apple sauce, or powdered sugar or drizzle honey for a touch of elegance.

* I love these pancakes, i love how healthy they are for my family, sometimes I substitute the carrot for sweet potato, squash or pumpkin for added veggie for my girls. They love it and have no idea they are eating sweet potato or pumpkin pancakes :)  These freeze very well.


Try experimenting with pancakes for your next breakfast, you won't be sorry, i hope you enjoyed these 3 recipes, and try making your own very soon. Enjoy !

Love Sierra