this girl likes coffee :)

I have a new project!!! I need to change my diet in a house where I am responsible for the cooking, but no one but me is willing to eat healthy. SOO... its time to invest in some storage dishes and start experimenting with homemade tv dinners!!

I want things that will freeze and reheat easily, but that I can cook from scratch to control what is in them. This way I can cook whatever it is they all want to eat, and just pull mine out of the freezer and heat it up.

I have a few ideas, but I am always looking for a few more (keep in mind I am lactose intolerant).

So far on my list...
Thai Peanut Chicken (I really do love that one)
Black beans and rice
Southwest steak soup
Eggplant Parmesan (I use a goats or sheeps milk cheese option)
Lemongrass pork stir fry with noodles

I would really like a variety of tastes and a few more soups... what ideas do you have?

I absolutely LOVE Lactaid products. I use the milk a lot when I have to cook big meals for groups, and sometimes I can get cottage cheese from them as well... not always, but when it comes in I am like a kid in a candy store.

I make wontons and freeze them on a tray. Once frozen, I bag them. Then when I want a serve of wonton soup, I grab some chicken stock, bring it to a boil, throw in about 5 or 6 wontons and whatever vegetables I have on hand, maybe a bit of ginger or garlic, sesame oil, chinese 5 spice... whatever takes my mood, and voila! Super quick and healthy wonton soup.

Sometimes I cheat and use the chicken powder from the asian supermarket if I don't have real stock on hand.
http://www.ettason.com/products_details.asp?id=4046
I really like it actually, and it's a lifesaver when you are short on time.

is currently drinking hot cocoa made with vanilla soy topped with a dollop of whipped topping...yum

Ursy, would you mind sharing your wonton recipe? Wonton soup is certainly on my list, its my favorite comfort foods!!!

I've been putting this into a number of holiday dinners recently: Quinoa stuffed portabella mushrooms with a cashew sage cream sauce.
You can stuff baby bella mushrooms for appetizer size servings or larger bellas for an entree~

Stuffed mushrooms

• 4 large portabella mushrooms
• 2c cooked brown rice or quinoa
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Fresh sage
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350̊
Remove stem from mushroom and lay upside down on a baking sheet.
Warm a pot over medium high heat with 2 tbsp olive oil on the bottom of the pot. Add in garlic and onions and sauté 3-4 minutes until onion is translucent. Add in grains and stir well. Season with sage, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
Spoon rice mixture into the mushrooms.
Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake 20-30 minutes until mushroom is juicy and beginning to cook down.

Cashew cream sauce
• 1 lb raw cashews
• ¼ c water
• Dry sage
• Salt

Puree cashews with water until creamy. Pour into pot on stovetop and season to taste with sage and salt while bringing up to heat.

Pour cream sauce over mushrooms just before serving.

Sure! I cook very much by feel, so I don't have a specific recipe (hope that's ok, I know some people like exact quantities but I tend to chuck stuff in and see what happens).

I just use the wonton or gow gee wrappers from the supermarket. They are not exactly the same but I think both are good.

I have made them from scratch once but I usually don't have the time, but here are my notes: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s13/s...e39957e9b48533

For the filling, I usually grab some mince (most often chicken or pork). Not too lean, a bit of fat is good (like sausages and hamburger, you need at least a bit of fat for the texture). Usually half a pound of mince will give you about 30 wontons.

I add a bit of any of these things to taste, according to mood (a bit of all of these would probably be too much, just pick what you have on hand / what you feel like)

Garlic, ginger, lemongrass, spring onions, onions, cilantro, lemon zest
Soy sauce, maggi seasoning, rice wine, chilli sauce (sriracha is the best!), sesame oil, chinese five spice, any other asian spice you like.

I put these in the food processor and give them a whiz. If they get caught up the sides and fail to get moving, I might add some of the mince to get things rolling. If your food processor is big enough you could add all of the meat if you like, mine is just a little one so I don't.

You could also add a bit of carrot for some colour if you felt like it. Sometimes I do just because I like to encourage my family to eat less meat and more vegetables.

Once everything is mixed together, you might want to do a taste test and adjust seasonings. I either pan-fry a little ball of it or drop it in a small pot of boiling salted water or stock for a few minutes.

Once you've got the filling to your liking, it's time to make your dumplings!

This is a good visual guide:
http://pinterest.com/pin/62698619782720850/

Basically find the one that pleases you most and get folding! I like the 5th one down, it's similar to the way my grandmother taught me to fold them, only the wrappers she used were square. In fact, I don't know if you could call any of the other designs wontons.

You get a feel for how much filling goes in each wrapper. If you are going to deep fry them, don't use quite as much filling because you could end up with raw middles.

Put them on a tray lined with baking paper and freeze. Once frozen, you can put them in a bag.

*follows Ursy's pinterest link*

*carefully peruses wonton folding methods*

*comes to #4*

*laughs hard, calls Gryph over; Gryph starts laughing too*

Thank you very much Ursy! :cheesy: :cheesy:

I would LOVE to grow herbs, vegetables, and trees... right now I move every couple of years it seems, so I am waiting. But I sure plan on it in the future.

Dante, I envy you your garden.
I LOVE growing stuff!

There is a house we have our eye on, and it has Paw paws, tropical apples, mulberries, bananas, strawberries, mandarins, and another citrus tree that we haven't identified yet.

I haven't been able to grow much because I know we will be moving soon, so I'm growing the tomatoes in a big pot (which you've seen pics of), potatoes in a pot (we had a supermarket one sprout so I thought I'd throw it in a pot and see what happened), cilantro, lemon basil, chives, mint, and I'm trying to grow some catmint for Tigerlily.

If we get the house we want, I would like to also plant some blueberries, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, kaffir lime, and a pandan plant. Oh yes, and maybe an avocado tree, if we have space. But they get big, and I think for best yield you need two of them, one A type and one B type (from memory, I researched it awhile ago)

You might not have heard of the pandan plant if you haven't had a lot to do with Asian cooking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandanus_amaryllifolius
I have a small one in a pot. I think it's one of my most cherished plants because it's not easily sourced where I am.

I have some galangal growing in the garden of our current home. It just the prettiest plant, I love how it looks (these photos don't do it justice but they were the best I could find at short notice)
http://pickmeyard.wordpress.com/tag/greater-galangal/



What? You never seen a dumpling in the shape of a surprised fish wearing sunglasses before? Lol :)

Vegan shout out - Pots de Creme
 

Well you all know that I am a coffee freak. Now I am in search of a new espresso machine. For now the French press is fine.

That sounds like fun Jenn. Keep us posted on your progress. I find that stews freeze really well and are ideal on a cold winter night.

You could try a chicken corn chowder. Real simple just chicken stock, corn, potatoes, onions, carrots, (optional) diced red bell pepper, (optional) a little chopped lean bacon or ham. You can thicken with a roux, corn starch or cooked potatoes run through the blender with a touch of stock. The roux is assuming that you can use butter. This freezes really well.



Coconut milk can work well in some recipes.

That is one of my favorite quick soups and I am a freak for bok choi so I make soup all the time. Let me know the next time that you make this and I will be right over ok? ;) Tell Kris I am dropping in.


Urs I have not had luck with powdered soup products as many Asian companies use a sulfite product or msg. I will check out any of your suggestions though.

ooooooo I love growing citrus and have grown quite a bit. I use to own a tropical fruit tree company that shipped tropical fruit trees all over the US specializing in greenhouses.

I grow year around. Although I have a greenhouse its massive (30X70) so I divide it. But most of stuff I'm growing now is in a cold frame. I think I will build a few smaller greenhouse because everything wants something different- basil like it hot, cilantro likes it cool. I do have a globe basil I grow inside during the winter and I love it because it doesnt bolt and I have kept alive for two years! I chop the shit out of it too. I also grow a huge dwarf banana tree under grow lights with a papaya and a few citrus and herbs. I use the banana leaves for cooking.

below is my finished cold frame. Instead of covering each bed this year I decided to just cover a few and make something I can walk in. Right now you'll see snap peas, bok choy, mustard greens, parsley, cilantro, fennel. I have some kale cuttings I'm sprouting to plant in that middle bed and also will plant more chard. I love food and cooking. Living on a farm is the perfect lifestyle for me. I have fresh eggs everyday and have canned and or froze some of my garden harvest. I'm not big into canning but some things like tomatoes is something I don't mind coming from a can. I made homemade tomato soup with basil tonight. I do like to freeze stuff and think it taste fresher.

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/...9297BA6C3C.jpg

This was just a cold frame. During the winter I can only grow winter greens. Theres actually quite a lot you can grow. If the temp drops below 20 degrees, which rarely happens here I may put a few barn heaters just to keep the chill at bay, but during the day I have to open the doors on each end or it can get pretty warm in there.

Yes, I'm from Florida so I grew and sold lots. I think that organic avocados is a good investment. In CA you have less moisture so your citrus and avocados are more dense, taste different.

My BIG greenhouse there is an older video below. I had quite a hit one year and lost quite a few tropical fruit trees but I'm working on the greenhouse over the winter and looking to create more aquaponics and hydroponics. Because its so costly to cover it with the solar poly we want to use next (Solexx for anyone in the know) we are carefully looking into affordable ways to fully operate this huge ass greenhouse.

But I do know quite a bit about growing tropical fruit trees in containers if anyone needs helps. I am especially knowledgeable at growing citrus. In the video you'll also see true curry leaf which is very sought after for cooking, however now its been proven to have huge health benefits. I will definitely be bumping that project up. I started growing and selling goji berry plants and did awesome this last season.

This was just a cold frame. During the winter I can only grow winter greens. Theres actually quite a lot you can grow. If the temp drops below 20 degrees, which rarely happens here I may put a few barn heaters just to keep the chill at bay, but during the day I have to open the doors on each end or it can get pretty warm in there.

Yes, I'm from Florida so I grew and sold lots. I think that organic avocados is a good investment. In CA you have less moisture so your citrus and avocados are more dense, taste different.

My BIG greenhouse there is an older video below. (that is my voice btw)I had quite a hit one year and lost quite a few tropical fruit trees but I'm working on the greenhouse over the winter and looking to create more aquaponics and hydroponics. Because its so costly to cover it with the solar poly we want to use next (Solexx for anyone in the know) we are carefully looking into affordable ways to fully operate this huge ass greenhouse.

But I do know quite a bit about growing tropical fruit trees in containers if anyone needs helps. I am especially knowledgeable at growing citrus. In the video you'll also see true curry leaf which is very sought after for cooking, however now its been proven to have huge health benefits. I will definitely be bumping that project up. I started growing and selling goji berry plants and did awesome this last season.

we have a growing and preserving thread here. Lots of good stuff. If you're into cooking then it only makes sense to grow. I can grow anything anywhere and so can almost anyone. Once I grew greens in my basement and when it comes to herbs under lights, super easy.

The key withe avocados or any fruit, for that matter, is to purchase a grafted tree. So really it doesnt take 7 years. It will produce in a 3 gallon container the first year but you'll have one or two bending the tree. So realistically you'll wait 5 years, with proper care and pruning, you'll start to harvest a nice crop from a grove. Today there are companies selling mature fruit trees that are 3-5 years old. You just have to find one close to you and be prepared to spend a few hundred per tree but its worth it. The first year you plant there will be shock but after that you're sailing. I'm happy to help any way I can, including the best way to market your plants or harvest.

I love tacos. I use bison. Damn I'm stuff but now I'm thinking about tacos.

Awesome thank you! You are a Goddess send. By March I am going to start visiting some of the land that is available in the central valley and get a better sense of what is out there. Prices may never be this low again. I will definitely keep you posted and if you plan to visit CA in the spring or summer let me know I can show you around some of the farms.

If you have a source for mature fruit trees can you hook me up? I may as well start budgeting in that direction. Makes more sense.

I think what I look for is what a location is popular for and what the locals enjoy. Like in KC Missouri it's ribs!, Texas and California would be mexican for sure, Florida could be Cuban, Puerto Rican, or Jamaican. I guess it's all about being homemade for me and coming from the culture and people in that region. I would like to travel to Italy to experience their Italian food. I love mexican food and no matter where I go I always look for good authentic mexican food.



I learned some from my gram also and my mom. . so extensive and hard though lol.. like homemade tortillas and tamales, and menudo. Takes a lot of work. I don't make those things but other stuff I guess its just based on trial and error and experimenting to see what works and what ingredients and flavors work together.

Ursy thanks for the recipe on dumplings, sounds delicious! .. and now I want to make some!

You would always be welcome my friend.

Yes, I think all of the powdered soup products have msg, but none of us have problems with it so it's all good there. I have read studies that suggest it's not the demon it was originally made out to be, and that it's a naturally occurring substance in many foods, so it's really only an issue if you have a sensitivity.

I think the actual culprit was... something starting with T? Can't remember.

Here is a recipe for tamales from Texas Recipes and it reminds me of my grandmother's recipe.

Christmas Tamales (from Scratch)

For Husks:
1/2 lb tamale corn husks


To prepare husks, place them in a large bowl of hot water; weigh down husks with another bowl. Soak for at least 30 minutes (until pliable). Drain husks; remove any silks and wash thoroughly. Cover with warm water and soak at least 2 hours. Keep damp until used.

Tear 2 cornhusks lengthwise into 12 (1/2-inch-wide) strips (6 strips per husk).

Filling:
1 small pork roast or tenderloin (2-3 lb.)
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 tsp cumin

Cut pork roast into very small pieces. Place pork into a large pot with 2 cups water and add remaining filling ingredients. Cook for 1-1/2 hours on medium heat; reduce to low and cook another 1-1/2 hours. When meat is tender drain juices into another pan and save them for the dough. Let meat stand 10 minutes. Cut pork in half crosswise; shred with 2 forks.

Dough:
2-1/2 cups masa flour
3/4 cups lard
Reserved meat juices
1/4 cup baking powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp red chili powder

Place masa flour into a large bowl. Soften lard and work it, along with 3/4 cup meat juice, into the masa. Add baking powder and spices.

Combine until mixture is soft enough to spread. If dough is too stiff, add more of the meat juices.

Lay each husk flat on the working surface with the tip away from you and the smooth side up. Using 2-1/2 Tbsp of dough for each husk, spread dough completely to the right edge and within 1 inch of the left side, 2 inches of the bottom and 2 inches of the top. The rectangle should be about 4 to 5 inches in size. Spoon 2 Tbsp of meat mixture onto the center of the dough in a line lengthwise.

To enclose, turn the right long side over to the center of the filling, making sure dough seals around filling. Then fold the long left side over filling with the plain part of the husk wrapping around the tamale.

Fold the bottom tip down and around tamale. Tie 1 husk strip around tapered end of husk to secure it. Trim all but about 1/2 inch excess husk from broad end, if needed. Repeat procedure with remaining husks, dough, and pork mixture.

Invert an aluminum pie plate in the bottom of a large pot/steamer and place some husks on top of the pie plate. Arrange tamales in the pot by placing them one by one, starting in the middle and working out building a pyramid. Fill the pot about half full. pour enough
water seasoned with a little salt and chili powder into the pot to not quite touch the bottom of the tamales. Steam, covered about 3 hours on very low heat. Yields 4 dozen

NOTE:
Patience: do not open the steamer during the cooking process; it causes water to condense on the inside of the lid of the and drip into the tamales.

These can be frozen and reheated.