Almond Milk, by Diane

Recently I was at a fancy juice bar downtown and they had a house base of vanilla almond milk that they added to any type of juice to make it creamy and more protein-packed. I was instantly hooked, and this week I decided to try it on my own. I never really knew how they made almond milk (at first I thought if I threw almonds in my juicer maybe something would squeeze out??), but as it turns out it's as easy as blended soaked almonds and water! I followed a recipe found here: http://www.choosingraw.com/raw-101-homemade-almond-milk/ It looked pretty standard as some other recipes I found, but had all sorts of variations like chocolate, cinnamon, sugar-free, etc.

So last night I soaked my almonds, and this morning I got up to begin the very messy process (practice makes perfect!) of making almond milk. I did the cinnamon version. At first, I really thought it was way too watery (for some reason I was expecting it to be thicker and creamier), but after a few sips I was hooked. I still might try to reduce the water next time and see what happens though. It ended up being my breakfast and it held me through lunch, and next time I think I'll try it in a smoothie or even coffee!

Note: I didn't have a 'nutbag' or even cheesecloth, so I used two thick paper towels layered over one another and secured it on a tupperware container with a giant rubber band- worked just fine!

See? Messy....

Also, this only made about 2.5 cups of milk, which wound up being more expensive to make than I'm sure buying it would be, just FYI.


Ingredients:

1 cup blanched almonds, soaked overnight (I heard the skins can make it more bitter, even though that's what this author is using in her website photos)
4 cups water
6 dates or 1/4 cup agave (I used dates)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (or the contents of a vanilla bean)
1 pinch sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in blender at high speed for one minute.

2. Pour mixture over nutbag/cheesecloth/paper towel secured onto a large container. Let strain for 45 minutes.

Sesame Brown Rice Chicken Salad, by Diane

This is another recipe that I can't believe I haven't posted- it's a favorite go-to and stores great for another day. I created it about 5 years ago when I was looking for a healthy, filling lunch that didn't come in a frozen container and that I could make a day or so ahead of time. The sauce is pretty versatile too, I've used it to grill chicken and pork as well, even to make asian shrimp!


Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, grilled
4 cups instant brown rice
1 cup unsalted peanuts, crushed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 sprigs green onions, chopped (both green and white parts)
3 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. sesame oil
3 tbsp. soy sauce (I use low sodium)
1.5 clove garlic, minced
1 pinch red chili flakes
1/2 lime, juiced


Directions:

1. Grill chicken (I use a Forman grill!) and cook the rice. Meanwhile, combine peanuts, cilantro, and green onions in a large bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk, adjusting if desired to fit your tastes.

2. Allow grilled chicken to cool for 5 minutes, then shred using 2 forks.

3. Pour rice in large bowl on top of peanut mixture, then pour chicken on top of the rice. Pour the sauce over the chicken until it just absorbs then stir to combine. It may be necessary to make another mini-batch of the sauce if the mixture is too dry/bland.

4. Eat hot, or if eating leftovers they can be eaten cold (if heating up leftovers, make sure to cover so the rice and chicken don't dry out!).

Adult Mac n' Cheese, by Diane

This recipe was created last winter during a 3-day long blackout when I was freezing, hungry, and craving something comforting. We had just had a massive blizzard and it was impossible to leave the house, and almost all the canned food was gone. And since the food in our refrigerator was on the verge of spoiling, I had to use as much of it as possible. I opened the fridge with a flashlight and saw a bunch of difference cheeses leftover from a recent party platter, a giant gallon of new milk, lots of sticks of butter from holiday baking, and random produce like garlic and shallots. I also had a bunch of different boxes of pasta leftover from a holiday spaghetti dinner I had helped make for a local shelter. Thus, over propane, adult mac n' cheese was born. There is no one recipe I use for this, because really it involves any cheese you have leftover (except anything spicy, unless you like spicy mac and then go ahead!), spices/oils you might have on hand and find interesting (nutmeg brings out soft cheeses well, or truffle oil gives a great flavor too, or you can go spicy with chili oil and/or cayenne), and even sauteed veggies like mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and broccoli. You can add in meats as well if you want to make it more filling and more of a complete meal. But I'll post the original recipe I created below during that snowstorm- it was the only thing that got us through the day!!!


Ingredients:

1 box pasta, any kind
4 tbsp butter or margarine
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small shallot, minced
1/2-1 cup milk (I use part skim and part half and half to keep it healthier, but higher fat milk would make it creamier)
2 tbsp. white flour
1/2 wedge brie cheese
1/4 cup bleu cheese crumbles
1/2 large block each cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese, colby cheese
1/4 cup creamy herb cheese like alouette
1/4 cup cream cheese
Salt and pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup each grated parmesan and seasoned breadcrumbs


Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions in a large pot, drain.

2. Preheat oven to 350.

3. In same pot, melt the butter/margarine and sautee garlic and shallots until tender over low heat. If you are using flavored oils or other veggies, add them in this step.

4. Add in milk/half and half and stir to combine, then add in flour to make a rue- careful not to burn or brown!- stirring constantly for 1 minute.

5. Slowly add cheeses a little bit at time, stirring constantly with a whisk, until melted in with sauce. If your sauce is too runny or separates easily, add in more flour and/or half and half/high fat milk (adding skim will make it more watery).

6. Remove from heat, add in seasonings to taste and blend well. Mix pasta in and coat with sauce.

7. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and cover with parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes, then broil on low until the crumb topping turns golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

Chicken Apple Sausage with Sage, Leeks, and Orzo, by Diane

This dish is one I learned in California from an Italian friend who described it as "pure Tuscan comfort food." It's been a great go-to recipe ever since as it is very warm and filling, and impressive for company. It's fairly easy and quick to throw together, and pairs great with the reisling that is used to make it!


Ingredients:

12 oz. orzo
2 tbsp EVOO
2 large leeks, sliced thinly
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp. sage
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
4-6 large links chicken apple sausage, sliced (al fresco is my favorite!)
1 can cannelini beans
2 cups reisling
1 cup chicken broth


Directions:

1. Cook orzo according to directions, drain.

2. While orzo cooks, heat EVOO, leeks, garlic, and spices in a large saucepan over medium heat until leeks are tender. Add in sausage, cook until browned. Add in beans and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring to brown evenly.

3. Reduce heat to low and add in reisling and chicken broth, scrape bottom and sides of pan. Add in orzo and mix well.

4. Adjust liquids and seasonings to your liking and simmer on low for 5 more minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed. I typically add in another 1-2 tsps. of sage and 1-2 tbsp. of chicken boullion powder (to increase the chicken flavor without increasing the liquid!).

Steamed Mussels, by Cheryl

We've been cooking a lot of seafood and fish around here. I guess that's because all we have to do is walk down the street to our local fish guy. He typically only has items that he fished out of the sea that day so you never know what's going to be there when you arrive. Although he may be out of fish or octopus on some days, he always has mussels. Always. The difference with buying the mussels here rather than in the States (at least where I bought mine) is that they come basically as they are when they are fished out of the sea. I had to clean them and debeard them, which can be a little time consuming if you have a lot. But since they only take about 5 minutes to cook it's always well worth it! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded. Discard any open or broken mussels.
a couple of garlic cloves, chopped
half an onion, chopped
some parsley
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
Italian bread, to dip
olive oil

Directions:

1) Saute the onion and garlic with a little olive oil for a couple of minutes.
2) In a pot pour in the white wine and water and wait for slight bubbles.
3) Turn down heat to simmer, pour in onions, garlic, parsley, and mussels. Cover
4) Mussels should open quickly. Discard any mussels that are closed. Use bread to dip in broth.