pushwing05 blog

This split pea curry comes together in hardly any time at all, with little preparation. It's a dry curry and is ideal for serving over a hot bed of fresh cooked rice. Of course, you can add more water if you prefer, resulting in a soupier dish, but this version is one that is never a disappointment. For slight variation, use black-eyed peas instead. You really won't need to increase the soaking time, as black-eyed peas are best if you do not cook them until they are falling apart.

Indian Yellow Split Pea Curry with Tomatoes and Spices (Matar Dal)

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on May 15, 2018 Simple and light split pea curry simmered in a delectable spiced tomato sauce Print this recipe Ingredients: 3/4 cup dried yellow split peas (or channa dal) 1 tablespoons ghee or oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 2 shallots, cut into thin strips or finely chopped 2 red or green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 small carrot, diced or thinly sliced 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon asafetida 1 large tomato, finely chopped water as needed 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice small handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, trimmed and chopped Instructions: Rinse the split peas and soak in enough water to cover for 5 hours or overnight if you split peas are have been around for a while. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes until the peas are tender. Drain and set aside. Heat the ghee or oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds and mustard seeds, and stir for 30 to 60 seconds or until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Add the shallot and sauté for a few minutes to soften. Add the carrot, ginger and chilies and continue to stir for another few minutes. Stir in the paprika, turmeric, ground coriander, cayenne, asafetida, and fry for another minute until fragrant. Add the tomato and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the tomatoes begin to reduce and thicken. Stir in 1/4 cup of water, add the split peas, and let simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring often. Add more water as desired. Remove from heat and season with salt and garam masala, stir in the lemon juice, and serve hot with flat breads or fresh cooked rice and garnish the dish with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro. To reheat, add a bit more water and gently warm. Makes 4 servings

On the top of the reading stack: Warlight: A novel

Source: https://foodandspice.blogspot.com/2018/05/indian-yellow-split-pea-curry-with.html

My little dinosaur overlord is a picky eater. While she has a decent appetite, we have difficulty feeding her fruits and veggies. We resort to giving her raisins and dried fruits, as well as a lot of fruit and vegetable juices, in the hopes of upping her intake and getting her acclimated to the flavors.

It’s an ongoing struggle, so I am now familiar with most fruit and veggie juice brands available on the local supermarket shelves. I have even learned to go through ingredient labels carefully, making sure to avoid added sweeteners, artificial flavors, and colorings.

Oishi’s Great Lakes Juice wasn’t on my radar, so I was thoroughly surprised when Oishi sent a Great Lakes package my way. Great Lakes is a juice drink made from 100% fruit and vegetable juices. A quick scan of the ingredients showed that there were no artificial flavors, sweeteners, colorings, or chemicals I can’t pronounce, definitely a good sign.

Great Lakes has two variants, the Tropical Blend Fruit Mix and Fruit and Vegetable Mix. Both flavors lean heavily towards the fruity, with the mango, orange, and apple flavors shining through. Both aren’t too sweet, relying on the natural fruit sweetness instead; definitely a plus in my book. The papaya lends a more mellow sweetness to the tropical blend, while the carrot adds a tinge of savory to the vegetable blend. I favor the vegetable blend, but not by much. I like them both, really, and so does Miffy.

Great Lakes is available in baon-sized 250ml packs and 1-liter packs that’s perfect for sharing with the family, or for keeping a pint-sized dinosaur who has perfected the art of fridge raiding nourished.

It should be noted that Great Lakes is made with reconstituted fruit and veggie juice concentrate, unlike some other imported brands that are packed as fresh fruit and veggie juice. Don’t get me wrong; Great Lakes is all natural. But if you want something that is purely juice packed right in their country of origin, you need to be ready to pay the price, the difference ranging from 50% more expensive to twice the price. That said, flavor and content-wise, I’m more than happy with Great Lakes.

Great Lakes is all natural, refreshing, conveniently packaged (I love the screw cap that lets you store the box sideways in the fridge), and affordable. Those are a lot of points scored in my book.

Source: http://www.kitchencow.com/2015/09/17/oishi-great-lakes-wholesome-juice-options-for-baby-dinosaurs/

"When I bring this Corn and Bean Sweet Chunky Salsa to a party everyone wants the recipe," shares Kimberly Kolligs (Aberdeen, MD). "It's so easy!"

I couldn't stop snacking on this salsa. It's sweet from the apple cider dressing, yellow pepper, and corn. Feta adds a hint of saltiness for that perfect sweet and salty balance. Kimberly's recipe calls for canned corn. Since fresh corn is available now, I would use that to add a bit of summertime freshness.

"We eat this a lot in the summer," says Joey Wolf (Oquawka, IL). "It's a salad and veggie pizza perfect for those hot summer days." Slice Joey's Summer Pizza into smaller slices and you have an easy appetizer.

The buttery flavor of the crescent rolls makes for a delicious crust. The cream cheese sauce is cool, tangy, and refreshing. Once the crust is baked, in the Test Kitchen we topped the pizza with fresh tomatoes, black olives, green onions, and cilantro. But, top with whatever you like or have on hand. It's super simple.

Thomas Warner (Penn Yan, NY) made this recipe and shared, "We served the pizza to guests this weekend and it was spectacular." He suggested adding tiny canned shrimp to the pizza which would be a yummy topping.

"I fell in love with hummus when I worked at the farmer's markets in California," explains Jodie Scales (Spokane, WA). I would get flatbread, hummus, tomatoes, avocados and make a meal of it."

Jodie has put a twist on hummus in her Roasted Garlic Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus. She uses chickpeas which is the traditional hummus base. But she amps up the flavor with the other ingredients. I especially loved the roasted garlic and cilantro. The flavors pack a punch and make you want to go back for more... and more.

Shrimp cocktail is a light summertime appetizer I love to prepare. One that's fresh and fabulous is Lou Kostura's (Belmont, CA) Mexicano Shrimp Cocktail.

"I originally tried this in a tiny Mexican general store in Calistoga California," reveals Lou. "They serve it up in small styrofoam cups on Sunday mornings, and after the first one I was hooked."

Lou's recreation of what he tried is delicious. When I mixed everything and tasted, I was thinking this is OK but it's missing something. Well, while chilling in the fridge the magic happens. The few dashes of tabasco provide a kick. The fresh veggies, cilantro, and lime are so good and the shrimp soak up all the flavor. So good!

If your garden is bursting with tomatoes, make a batch of Bobbi Gulla's (Philadelphia, PA) Bruschetta & Cheese. Bobbi's twist on bruschetta is delicious. It's fresh, full of flavor and cheesy! The fresh basil adds a peppery taste and made the Test Kitchen smell amazing. Add a spoonful onto water crackers or toasted baguette for a simple and refreshing appetizer.

Try one of these summertime appetizers the next time you have friends over. What's your go-to appetizer recipe in the summer? Let us know in the comments. Happy Pinching!

It’s a Scandinavian thing, really it is! Drive down the road in Denmark during pine needle picking season and you’ll see Danes pulled off to the side of the road foraging pine needles.  Seem strange? No stranger than juniper berries or rosemary! I got turned on to this delight several years ago when I attended my first Nordic Culinary conference in Seattle. I loved it and immediately my brain went to work on what I could do with it.

My first thought went to cocktails (of course it did)…it is a simple syrup, and my mind danced with baked good ideas (still working on that one), I even did a pork belly glazed with it (which was freaking good, but then again, it was pork belly).

Braised pork belly with pine needle syrup.

This is a very seasonal offering, you only pick the bright green freshly grown new pine needles.  I like to pick mine at the cabin, it makes for easy foraging (yep, I am that lazy).  There are side effects, when you pick the new growth you stunt the tree’s growth.  I am careful to not pick all off of one tree or all on one side.  We happen to have some young trees that are too close to our cabin, they need to be cut down for fire safety, in the mean time I happily stunt their growth.

Pick only the bright green fresh growth.

After that it’s just a matter of making a simple syrup and steeping the pine needles for 12 to 24 hours.  I like to add crushed juniper berry or rosemary (sometime both) to mine for a more complex savory flavor.

Pine Needle Syrup

2018-07-26 14:25:29

Yields 2

1. 1 cup organic granulated sugar
2. 2 cups water
3. 2 to 4 cups foraged pine needles, rinsed
4. 1/4 cup crushed juniper berries (optional)
5. 1 ounce rosemary sprigs (optional)

1. In a medium saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add pine needles, juniper and/or rosemary if using. Turn off heat and let simmer 12 to 24 hours.
2. Strain well in clean jars. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 months.

The Kitchen Witch http://www.thekitchenwitchblog.com/

Disclosure: I’m so grateful to have received a copy of Samantha Ferraro’s debut cookbook, The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen: 80 Authentic, Healthy Recipes Made Quick and Easy for Everyday Cooking. I hope you all enjoy this little sneak peak!

A lot of people have been asking me “what’s the best thing you ate in Greece?”. A fairly easy question. But one that I haven’t been able to answer with a straightforward response. Because I just can’t seem to pick a favorite dish.

Everything that I ate in Greece was fantastic. I was actually surprised at how consistently delicious each meal was. And trust me when I tell you that I tried it ALL. Gyros, salads, moussaka, zucchini balls, baked giant beans, dolma, yogurt, phyllo dough pastries, cakes and on and on and on. I could make a list to fill this entire page.

Each meal left me excited for the next. And I made every effort possible to make a mental imprint of all the dishes that I hoped to re-create once I returned stateside.

So imagine my delight when I got home to find Samantha Ferraro’s first cookbook, The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen: 80 Authentic, Healthy Recipes Made Quick and Easy for Everyday Cooking, waiting at my doorstep. My taste buds were literally primed for each and every recipe in her book.

Given that I wanted to make ALL THE THINGS from Samantha’s cookbook, it was certainly a challenge to pick just one of her recipes to share with you all today. But my weekly trip to the farmer’s markets left me with an overabundance of eggplant, so her Persian Style Eggplant and Yogurt Dip quickly became the natural choice. Also, since getting back from Greece and having lots of “mezze style” meals there, I’ve been really jonesing for small plates and appetizers. Just put a bowl of this dip in front of me with a pile of fresh vegetables and crackers and I’m one happy chick!

This Persian Style Eggplant and Yogurt Dip comes together easily (and boasts a relatively short ingredient list), just like so many of the other recipes featured in The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen. This is food you can make and eat anytime. No special occasions needed.

If you’re a fan of vibrant, aromatic and EASY Mediterranean dishes, then you’ll instantly be a fan of Samantha Ferraro. Check out her blog and her cookbook. And take a vacation in your kitchen!

Cheers,

Liz

Congratulations Amanda!

Gluten Free Banana Donuts with Cacao Maple Glaze //

It happened again.  I've told you about this before:  I'm convinced that at times God allows me to get some weird stuff just so I can research it and then pass along what I've learned to all of you, my beloved reader friends.  And I do love you guys and all, but this is getting a bit ridiculous!  Besides the below issues, I'm pretty darn healthy and feel great every day!  But each of these experiences have taught me a lot about natural remedies that will help you get better without causing a bunch of new problems in the process, as most drugs will.  And those conventional “fixes” don't really get you better anyway, they just put on a little bandaid and later when it's ripped off again, you're usually worse off than where you started.

God knows that I love helping all of you get better, stay healthy, etc., but we really have had some odd maladies hit our home, and even some scary issues like…

This time it was shingles, lovely. But at least then I could figure this one out for you too:  the BEST natural remedies for shingles that WORK!

Yep, that's my back in the picture above.  I had shingles a few months ago and I'm just now finding the time to tell you about it.  I'll share some of what I wrote in my daily notes to keep track of what was happening.

It began as quite the mystery — nothing was making sense at first…

• It started on a Sunday when my back began to ache in an unusual way that I'd never felt before.  I was in the car a lot over the weekend and thought maybe it was from that.  It wasn't horrible, just a weird dull ache that felt a little like muscle pain on the right side of my back all day.
• It was worse on Monday, I was uncomfortable if I was in one position too long and had to keep moving around.  (I later learned this was a shingles symptom, but hadn't put that together yet.)  By evening there was a little burning sensation in the front on the right side too.  Since I still thought it might be a muscular issue and it was a “pain that gets better with motion”, I took some of this homeopathic remedy, which also turned out to be a good shingles remedy, but I still wasn't thinking shingles yet…
• Tuesday I began getting itchy, not constantly but occasionally, on my mid-abdomen and side.  Because of the burning and how it hurt in the front and the back, I started wondering if my gallbladder or liver were involved somehow — it's crazy how many of these symptoms are similar to gallbladder issues!  (Read more about that here:  How to keep your gallbladder and what to eat if it's already removed.)  
• By Wednesday I started getting a little rash on the middle of my back, and when I had a numb feeling on the skin there, which was still a little itchy, I still had “gall badder” in my head — even though I eat so many healthy fats, and I couldn't imagine that my gallbladder could be sluggish for any reason!  I was researching it, of course, and learned that “bile backing up in the bloodstream” could cause the numbness…
• Thursday early in the morning I woke and felt the same mild pain in middle of my right side under my rib cage and it went toward the front and back, and I still had that weird rash in the middle of my back, about 2 inches square, that was mildly sore and only mild itchy.  I started to realize that this thing wasn’t going away, although it wasn't getting worse either, but I got some apple juice to start the gallbladder cleanse.
• Monday there were 2 MORE itchy spots along a line around my waist and one in front so then it finally hit me:  this is shingles and not gallbladder — the back pain and tingling was all nerve related, duh!
• Thankfully the pain and itching isn't bad at all, only a mild case I think?  I asked Joette if I should take some homeopathy to prevent the symptoms from getting worse and she said you just treat the symptoms, so if they're not bad or bothering much, just leave it for now.
• The following Monday my side started to hurt a little more again, weird that I didn’t have that for week or so and then it was back, still not horrible, just annoying if sitting or standing too much.  Also started getting “zingers” in my arm and on my side — where a little quick shooting nerve pain would startle me, so I took this remedy for that and any lingering back pain and it worked well.
• Two weeks after the rash first began it was pretty much gone. Still a bit itchy on my side and back now and then.  Back pain mostly gone too unless on my feet a lot.  Now just the shooting pain occasionally so I started taking this remedy that is more for nerve pain.
• And that was the end of my notes, it was done!

Best Natural Remedies for Shingles — everything I used is spelled out here, and thankfully my case remained nice and MILD

• Take this remedy at the very first sign of shingles — here are the symptoms to look for:
  • The first symptom of shingles is usually pain on one side of the body.  There may be itching, numbness, tingling, burning, a constant ache, or “zingers” as I called them — a shooting nerve pain.  I didn't have the nerve pain yet, just an ache that felt better if I moved, which is why I knew to start with that remedy, but it turns out it was a good choice for shingles (itching, pain) and Joette said she thinks that's why I had such a mild case, because it's what I took right away!
  • Typically, 1-3 days after the pain starts, a rash with raised, red bumps and blisters shows up on the skin in a similar areas to where the pain was, often near the waistline.  They can become pus-filled, just like with chicken pox, then form scabs in less than 2 weeks and disappears within another week or so.  These could cause scarring, more on this below.
  • Sometimes:  Fever and chills, headache, upset stomach or abdominal pain.

• That same morning I had some digestive upset, but again, not bad enough to take anything, but if I'd needed it, I'd have taken this.
• For the nerve pain or “zingers” as I called it when the pain would quickly shoot through my arm or on my side, and also for any lingering back pain, I'd alternate with this pain remedy and this one that is more specifically for nerve pain.  (I was glad to have it in case this became a bigger problem, but it never really did so I only took it a couple of times.)
• By the way, once most of my symptoms were gone, I started to feel a cold coming (stuffy nose, scratchy throat), so took this remedy that I always take now at the first sign of any illness coming on and 9 times out of 10 it knocks it out before it even begins, and it worked again!  (I also continued taking extra probiotics as an immune booster.)

Best Natural Remedies for Shingles — more homeopathics that may help:

Rhus tox is one of the more common remedies employed for the treatment of shingles. If Ranunculus is the Rolls Royce, then Rhus tox is the Cadillac of remedies that relieves the fearsome itching and pains accompanying this condition. The rash consists of small, red fluid-filled vesicles or blisters that break when scratched, spreading the infection. The individual will mostly likely be restless, changing positions often seeking relief. Shingles will appear primarily on the left side of the body. Hot baths and warm compresses bring temporary relief.

Iris versicolor is indicated when the rash is worse on the right side of the abdomen and under the right arm. Shingles are often accompanied by abdominal upset or problems with the pancreas. Also used for neuralgia (nerve pain).

Clematis erectus alleviates shingles pain that features burning, red blisters that become aggravated at night time and with the application of cold water. There may be urinary tract complaints during an attack of shingles, more clearly indicating the use of this remedy.                  (Source)

Why not take the shingles medicines from your doctor?

My favorite homeopath, Joette Calabrese, is convinced that shingles and MOST other health issues are milder and do not recur when you don’t use the conventional meds.  Those are what makes it more intense or what causes it to last for a year!  You have shingles—>your doc gives you an antiviral medicine; you have asthma—>he puts you on an inhaler; if it's eczema—>you go on steroids, if you have anxiety—>he puts you on the meds and now you're STUCK.  Now you'll get everything worse and it'll last longer!

“Often, homeopathy can work in spite of allopathic drugs, but not so well when it comes to shingles.  It is my experience that if drugs are begun, homeopathy’s ability to clear the case is hampered.”

Be aware of shingles vaccines!

After having had shingles, of course I'd still never recommend the shingles vaccine, read this, including the comments.

As a matter of fact…

Does the Varicella vaccine have anything to do with WHY there so many more cases of shingles nowadays?

So in case you're wondering, Kasey's chickenpox that I told you about not long ago was a few months after I had shingles.  And too bad, because if he had gotten it beforehand, I may not have gotten shingles at all…

Chickenpox Is Nature's Way of Protecting You from Shingles:

Nature has devised an elegant plan for protecting you from the shingles virus.

After contracting and recovering from chickenpox (usually as a child), as you age, your natural immunity gets asymptomatically “boosted” by coming into contact with infected children, who are recovering from chickenpox. This natural “boosting” of natural immunity to the varicella (chickenpox) virus helps protect you from getting shingles later in life.

This is true whether you are a child, adolescent, young adult, or elderly—every time you come into contact with someone infected with chickenpox, you get a natural “booster shot” that protects you from a painful—and expensive—bout with shingles.

In other words, shingles can be prevented by ordinary contact, such as receiving a hug from a grandchild who is getting or recovering from the chickenpox. But with the advent of the chickenpox vaccine, there is less chickenpox around to provide that natural immune boost for children AND adults.

So as chickenpox rates have declined, shingles rates have begun to rise, and there is mounting evidence that an epidemic of shingles is developing in America from the mass, mandatory use of the chickenpox vaccine by all children.            (Source)

I was lucky…

I know that shingles is really horrible for some people, with debilitating nerve pain that can go on for months (although they really should check out the remedy mentioned above for nerve pain!), but thankfully my bout with it was quite mild and not too big a deal.  Hopefully now that you know about all of the best natural remedies for shingles, you'll be ready in case you or someone you love is surprised when they have it too!

More you might like:

Už od malička jsem zbožňoval perník na plech, po tom bych se mohl utlouct. Jinak jsem na pečené dezerty moc nebyl a je to se mnou tak trochu oříšek � Marika se tak čas od času snaží něco upéct a protože jsem přísný kritik, hned na mě své recepty odzkouší. Koláče, buchty, perníky, vše musí být krásně vláčné, né příliš sladké, atd. atd. Prostě to se mnou nemá jednoduché. Tentokrát to byl cuketový perník, který připravila. A můžu vám říct, že všechna kritika šla stranou, protože tak skvělý cuketový perník jsem snad ještě nejedl. Tím, že máme k dispozici cukety přímo ze zahrady, máme jich stále dost. A proto se Marika snaží vymýšlet recepty, kde by cuketu použila. A tak tady máte recept na cuketový perník na plech.

Variant, jak podávat perník je nespočet. U nás doma, když jsem byl ještě dítě, se perník rozřízl v půli, namazal se rybízovou marmeládou a přiklopil. Marméládou se pomazala i horní strana a nakonec se zasypal strouhaným kokosem. Dá se říct, že co rodina, to snad jiná variace přípravy � A tak to má být! V našem případě jsme perník na závěr posypali jen moučkovým cukrem a rovnou se do něj pustili. Moc dlouho nám to nezabralo a bylo po perníku.

A co váš recept na perník, jak si ho připravujete u vás doma?

Marika a Jirka

I came up with this recipe years ago, when the kiddo was still a toddler and was going through one of his super annoying “No. I’m not eating vegetables and you can’t make me!’ phases.

I found a workaround when it finally dawned on me that once I turned vegetables into patties and browned them, he’d eat anything I’d put in there. Ha, take that, punk! 1-0 for the self-proclaimed tulip queen.

Add whatever you like: one or more cooked vegetables, canned tuna flakes, potatoes, leftover meat or fish. I stuffed them with whatever I had on hand and he devoured them. Those phases never lasted long, thank God, and now he’s a tall 8-year-old with a healthy appetite who’ll eat just about anything I put in front of him.

His love for these patties stayed, though. Probably because they’re plain ole comfort food.

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower
3 to 4 spring onions
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
2/3 cup grated cheese (I used Old Amsterdam)
1/4 tsp chili flakes
4 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
4 tbsp regular breadcrumbs
2 eggs
pinch of pepper
salt

Directions:

Turn the cauliflower into florets and wash them.

Boil them in lightly salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, until they’re soft but still have a bite to them. Cooking time depends on how big your florets are. Drain them well. Just let them cool off in a colander.

Finely mince the spring onions.

Break the eggs into a bowl, add the sweet chili sauce, dried chili flakes and a good pinch of pepper and whisk. Feel free to add more spices or herbs.

Grate the cheese. Old Amsterdam is my favourite: aged, salty, sharp and crumbly.

Transfer the cauliflower back to the pan and lightly mash it.

Pour in the egg mix and add the spring onions and cheese. Stir well. Mash more if need be, but you want to keep some structure in there.

Stir in the breadcrumbs. Mine contained salt, so keep in mind that if yours don’t. you better add a little salt or things will be bland.

Use a medium-sized ice scoop for even portions.

Heat some oil and drop spoons of cauliflower mix in there. Flatten them with a fork and cook them over low to medium heat.

I like mine fairly light so I give it 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Keep in mind that the bigger you make them, the faster they’ll fall apart!

The guys like ‘em darker, so I cook those a little longer.

You won’t even need potatoes when you make these!