Chia Pudding

Chia is one of those food buzzwords that has me raising just one eyebrow in a quizzical manner. Seems like a fad to me! But I was enticed by a pudding at a cafe recently that looked remarkably like tapioca but was actually chia.

Investigations were made. Pudding was bought. Twice. But on separate occasions. It took me awhile to find chia at the grocery store because it was in the earthy natural food aisle that is seldom frequented by yours truly. This might change. (Side note, does anyone else think the milk bubbles in this picture are smiling? I see a face).

Like quinoa, a little bit of chia goes a long way. So while I initially balked at the $8 a bag price tag, I think it will last awhile and will certainly be better than purchasing at that little cafe. Plus, I can add all kinds of tasty things to this (and try more recipes).

We can add this to that chocolate smoothie I've been testing or make a pudding or put on salad, the options are pretty endless. For the first round, I kept it simple and made the chia (is that the proper verb, 'made' chia?) with almond milk.

Does anyone else just think of chia pets whenever I say chia? No? Just me? Okay (ch-ch-ch-chia!). The chia and milk are whisked together with a little vanilla. You can also add some maple syrup or agave syrup for sweetness but I like it plain. Although this should set in a couple hours, I found that the chia actually sinks to the bottom of the bowl so I had to re-whisk everything to break up the gelatinous mass of chia at the bottom. Once that was done though, I got a nice even pudding consistency.

Voila! Health in a bowl. The package even advertises that it's the superfood of the Aztecs! They were wrong about that whole 2012 thing but may have been onto something with chia.

Recipe

• 3 Tablespoons of chia
• 1 cup of non-dairy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Agave syrup or maple syrup to taste (optional)

1. Whisk the ingredients together.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight. If you want to eat the pudding the next day, check to see how everything is congealing. 
3. If the chia has sunk to the bottom and formed a jelly mass at the bottom (very technical term), use a whisk to break it apart and mix more with the milk.
4. Serve with fruit or jam and enjoy! 

Pickled Okra

I don't like pickles. I pick them off of burgers, I eat around them on the sandwich platter, no thank you! But when I was a kid, I like okra pickles. Mind you, I thought that okra pickle was a type of pickle (before I knew that pickles were cucumbers) and fried okre (yes, spelled differently) was an entirely different vegetable.

Well, now I know that the term 'pickle' applies more to a process than a food and therefore okra pickles were actually pickled okra. And that okra and 'okre' are the same thing, with a different twang. Even with this revelation, I never saw pickled okra at the store, just frozen (which I bought and never ate).

But then (!!!) I saw it in the grocery store as a fresh produce. I was so tempted to just buy a bunch of okra but I was all "but it isn't pickled". For the record, pickling is super easy. So I finally bought some okra and looked up how to pickle things.

Honestly, the most terrifying part of this process was sterilizing the jars. Mason jar: not just for cute storage. Generally speaking, when you add hot water to glass, it breaks. But not mason jars because they were in fact not created for wedding decor but for canning and being boiled. So I carefully sterilized a couple mason jars and associated parts. My fear didn't stop though once the glass didn't break. I was still concerned I hadn't sterilized correctly and that I was going to end up unknowingly eating rotten pickles or getting ebola (not how you get ebola).

Other than preparing the jars, there's a bunch of vinegar involved which is the essence of pickling. I wanted a little spice to my okra so added some red pepper flakes. The recipe I looked up called for some garlic and dill which couldn't hurt.

I wasn't convinced the liquid would seep into the okra if I didn't trim the tops but the stems were already cut off so I just barely trimmed the okra. The spices, herbs and garlic are placed in the bottom and then the okra is stuffed in there. Always add the okra first, before the hot liquid. That way, you don't have to worry about overflowing juices when you stuff in the okra.

The jars of pickled okra were set to pickle for two weeks. Then I tested one jar which opened with a satisfying 'pop' of the seal. Sterilization success! The pickled okra was quite tasty, with just the right amount of kick. But I left the other jar for a few more days to see what that pickling would do.

 

This is officially on the homemade gift giving list, I wonder if okra can be found in winter....

Recipe

• 1 lb. of fresh okra, stems trimmed
• 1 clove of garlic per jar
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh dill per jar
• Sprinkle of red pepper flakes, amount depends on your spice preference 
• 1 cup of white vinegar
• 1 cup of water
• Pinch of salt

1. Wash your jars and lids in warm, soapy water. Sterilize your canning jars by placing in a pot and covering with water. Bring the water to a boil. Make sure that you also have the lids in there too! Carefully remove with tongs and set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan (could be the same one you used for the jars), bring the vinegar, salt and water to a boil.
3. While that's boiling, place the garlic, dill and red pepper flakes in the mason jars. Evenly distribute these ingredients.
4. After trimming the stems of the okra, place them in the jars, alternating the direction to fit more in.
5. Pour the hot vinegar mixture into the jars, over the okra, until the jar is almost full. You don't want to fill to the brim.
6. Tighten the jar lids in place and store in a dark place for 2-3 weeks. When you open the jars, you want to hear a little 'pop' from the seal breaking.
7. Refrigerate once you open the jars. 

There's definitely a lot of different spices you can add to your okra. A bunch of recipes call for mustard seeds instead of red pepper flakes so have fun and experiment! 

Mint Juleps

Every year, after the Kentucky Derby, I think how fun it would be to host a Derby party next year. Then I forget when the Derby is, don't plan and end up thinking the same thought with the promise of next year! Honestly, I know very little about the Kentucky Derby beyond the basics: horses, hats, fried chicken, Derby pie, and mint juleps.

I even prepared a recipe for Derby pie bars (which I believe is actually just pecan-chocolate pie). So let's just say I'm testing each individual piece so one day I can throw the best Derby party in the land, complete with giant hat. And matching shoes.

 

So cheers! Here's to super easy mint juleps. When I was a kid, we had a mint bed--meaning a garden bed that was completely overrun with mint because that is a seriously invasive plant. Think Devil's Snare but with a lovely aroma (if you don't get the reference, we can't be friends).

Simple syrup is called that for a reason, equal parts sugar and water are boiled together and then infused with whatever flavor you desire, in this case--mint! The julep itself is a combination of bourbon (mmmm), simple syrup and ice. I'm not sure why it has to be crushed ice, I'm sure there's a history lesson in there. But it's crushed. It's cold. It has a special glass. I do not have special glasses for juleps so Moscow Mule mugs will have to do.

 

 I hope you have a sunny porch, hopefully with a swing and a big hat, where you can enjoy spring and sip your favorite icy beverage.

Mint Simple Syrup

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of water
• Mint leaves

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil until the sugar is all dissolved.
2. Turn off the heat and add the mint, at least a dozen leaves but more if you want a stronger flavor. 
3. Allow the mixture to cool with the mint. Strain into a jar and discard the mint. 
4. Store the syrup in the fridge a day ahead of time.

Mint Julep

• Mint simple syrup
• Bourbon
• Crushed ice
• Chilled glasses

1. In a cold glass, add enough crushed ice to almost fill the mug. Add several mint leaves and crush together to release some minty flavor.
2. Add 1 ounce of simple syrup and 2 ounces of bourbon. If you prefer a sweeter taste, add more syrup. Don't worry too much about the amounts, focus more on the ratio.
3. As the ice melts, you'll get more liquid in the drink but you can add water if you prefer.
4. Sip and enjoy!

Cashew Mustard Vinaigrette

I'm not inventive when it comes to salad. We've reviewed this. We've also reviewed how the proof is in the pudding or dressing, rather. So this lovely kale salad I made previously was just fine with hummus but was even better with this dressing (and with spinach instead of kale...).

I improvised a little bit with this recipe. I didn't have regular balsamic vinaigrette but I did have a raspberry variety which I got for Christmas (along with a chocolate vinaigrette, haven't experimented with that one yet). I also don't keep mustard around. I have some right now from deviled eggs making and then also from Christmas (I'm sensing a theme to my gifts). My nickname in my family is Monkey so there's often an exchange of monkey-themed gifts.

Salad dressing is super easy to make and it's reassuring to know what exactly is in this situation. Cashews are on the brink of being a vice of mine. Everything in moderation but I had to restrain myself from eating all of the cashews before making this dressing. I even had backup peanuts ready to go, just in case.

Cashews and a little bit of water are processed together until very chopped. The rest of the ingredients are added and blended until smooth. I used my lesser of two food processors so there were still some nut pieces in the final product but we put nuts on top of salads all the time so what's the harm in a little crunch? If you used a super blender, I'm sure your dressing will be perfectly liquefied.

The mustard I used gave a little spiciness to the dressing but the raspberry evened it out so it wasn't actually spicy, just the right amount of zing. I'm inspired to use this mustard on something else like chicken or something where I can taste the flavor more...perhaps another round of deviled eggs are in order.

Recipe

• 1/4 cup of cashews
• 2 Tablespoons red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of balsamic vinaigrette
• 1 Tablespoon mustard (spicy or Dijon)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a food processor, combine the cashews, onion and water. Blend until nearly smooth.
2. Add the vinaigrette, mustard and spices. If you prefer a spicier dressing and are using regular mustard, you can add some paprika or chili powder for kick (or even sriracha).
3. Blend everything until smooth. You can see that my cashews didn't turn into oblivion but the dressing was still good.
4. Pour over salad of your choice and enjoy! 

Avocado Hummus

I probably shouldn't start a food post talking about food spoilage but have you ever noticed that when hummus molds, the mold is the same color as the hummus? This makes it alarmingly difficult to tell when hummus has gone bad until you take a whiff and then you really know it's done for.

Well, my hummus went bad. And I had all these raw veggies to consume. What's a girl to do? With all those chickpeas I keep around, I busted out the food processor. I'm one of those people who think cilantro is amazing and doesn't taste like soap. I'm super pumped this required a whole bunch of cilantro.

This is really a hybrid of hummus and guacamole--what could go wrong?! I saved some of the avocado for a smoothie (more to come on that). I also added two cloves of garlic but could have gone for more garlicy flavor. 

Chickpeas, cilantro, avocado, garlic, some lemon juice and olive oil are all crushed and blended in a food processor. I chopped the cilantro a little bit because it was starting to look pretty full in my food processor. But it triumphed! I don't think you can quite get the store-bought consistency but maybe you have a super blender unlike me. It's still delicious with crackers, chips or fresh veggies! I also shamelessly ate this by the spoonful.

Recipe

• 1 can (15oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 avocado (I used just under a whole one)
• 3 cups chopped cilantro 
• 2 cloves of garlic (more if you'd like more garlicy flavor)
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1. Combine the chickpeas, avocado, cilantro (chopped slightly), garlic, oil and juice in a food processor.
2. Blend until smooth or smooth enough. I've heard removing the shells of the chickpeas is the key to smooth hummus. I'll have to try that.
3. Dip fresh veggies or crackers in the guacamole-hummus and enjoy!