Greek Yogurt

 I have tried this and it was EASY.  I keep plain in the house to make savory sauces for fish and we added frozen raspberries and agave and the kids gobbled it all up!

What you need to make greek yogurt:

 

From Here: http://www.makegreekyogurt.com/

4 cup or greater glass or plastic measuring cup (with a lid is helpful, but not necessary)
2 Tablespoons live culture yogurt (You can get it from you local grocery store), or yogurt culture packet
If you’re using a yogurt culture packet you will need 2 tablespoons milk set aside in a little bowl for use later.
4 cups of milk, the higher the fat content, the better.
6 cup saucepan or pot
Whisk
Piece of an old tee-shirt, cheese cloth, or a tea towel (the kind that is not made out of terry cloth) Alternatively you can use a special greek yogurt strainer
Optional: 1/4-1/3 cup powdered milk

Making greek yogurt:

Note: These instructions are for 4 cups of milk, but you can make it in larger batches, if you want. 4 cups is just a manageable amount of milk to work with.

Step 1: Scald the milk - Time 3-7 minutes

First you have to scald/pasteurize your milk. This means pouring 4 cups of milk into your saucepan and, over high heat, bring it almost to a boil. This will take about 3 minutes if the milk is at room temperature or 5-7 minutes if it’s just out of the fridge. As the milk is just starting to bubble around the edges of the saucepan, remove from the burner. Put a lid on the pan if you want, and then walk away.
You also have the option of adding the powdered milk now, and whisking it in, or doing it later. It doesn’t matter.

Step 2: Let the milk cool - Time 45mins-1hour

Come back periodically over the next hour or so until the pan has cooled down to about 108-115 degrees. You don’t need a thermometer for this, you can just use your fingers. When you can hold your fingertips to the side of the pan, for ten seconds without burning them you know it is ready. If you didn’t add the powdered milk before, you can add it now, or not at all.

Step 3: Add the bacteria - Time 1-2 minutes

If you’re using yogurt culture packets, now you add the packet to the 2 tablespoons and stir and then pour into the saucepan. If using the 2 tablespoons of live culture yogurt, pour it into the saucepan.
Stir the saucepan of now culture rich milk with a whisk, and then pour back into your glass or plastic cup measure. If your measure cup has a lid, put it on, if not that’s fine.

Step 4: Keep the mixture at 108 degrees - Time 4-12 hours

Turn on the oven light, and turn the oven on to warm. After about 2-4 minutes turn off the oven and then place the measuring cup in the oven. The oven light will produce enough heat to keep your oven pleasantly warm and allow you to peer in at the whole ecosystem you’ve just created.
Walk away for 4-12 hours. During this time you can use a wireless thermometer that will alert you when the temperature is getting too high or low.
When you wake up from the delightful nap you’ve just taken, remove the yogurt from the oven, and turn off the oven light. You can test if the yogurt is done when you tilt the measuring cup and the yogurt moves away from the side in one mass.

Step 5: Strain the yogurt – time 2-4 hours

Now you get to make greek yogurt.
Take the cloth that you have designated for the straining–tee-shirt, tea towel, or cheese cloth–stretch it over top of a bowl. Keep the cloth in place with several rubberbands stretched around the outside of the bowl. Then pour your yogurt onto the strainer you’ve created. Place the bowl and suspended yogurt into the refrigerator. Let the yogurt drain for a couple of hours. The longer you let it drain the thicker the yogurt.
Walk away. Read a blog about how to make greek yogurt and the shift of the US yogurt culture.

You’re done!

When the yogurt has drained long enough, or when you remember that you forgot about it go to the fridge and remove the delicious ready to eat yogurt.
Remove the rubber bands and gather up the edges of the yogurt cloth. Avoid submerging the yogurt in all that delicious whey you’ve drained off. Put the yogurt in an air tight container and refrigerate until you want to eat it.

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Butternut squash and warm kale fall salad from Runner's world.

Nate and I have been eating this up.  We love it.  We sub out goat's cheese and add feta instead.





http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/butternut-squash-and-kale-warm-fall-salad

Butternut Squash and Kale Warm Fall Salad
What you'll need:
2 large bunches of kale
1 small butternut squash
1/8 red onion
1 clove garlic
¼ cup of chopped walnuts
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp goat cheese (honey goat cheese adds a nice sweetness)
Salt and pepper
How to make it:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Peel butternut squash, remove pulp, and cut into ½-inch chunks.
3. Toss chunks in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil. Spread out on a foil-lined baking sheet.
4. Bake for 17 minutes, until tender and starting to brown.
5. While squash is baking, wash kale and allow to dry. Toast walnuts for 2 minutes in a small oven-safe pan.
6. For dressing, combine vinegar, mustard, a teaspoon of salt, cayenne pepper, and a generous amount of fresh-ground black pepper in a small bowl. While whisking, drizzle in 2 tablespoons olive oil.
7. Mince garlic clove, and add to dressing.
8. Remove stems from kale, and chop into 1 to 2-inch pieces.
9. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat.
10. Add kale, and stir constantly. Cook for 5 minutes until kale is bright green and slightly wilted.
11. Remove from heat, transfer kale to a large bowl and toss with dressing, onions, walnuts, and a small pinch of salt.
12. Pile salad in center of plates. Top with butternut squash and crumbled goat cheese. Recipe feeds two.

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Summer fruit water

6c. Watermelon, cubed
2c. strawberries, frozen
1c. Cold water
1 lemon (juice)
1c. Ice
3/4 c. Sugar

Blend until smooth, serve cold
Makes 2qts

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Bagles- from all recipes.com

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 1/2 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

7 cups bread flour (can use 1/2 whole wheat 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon white sugar 3 tablespoons poppy seeds (optional)

Directions:

1.	In large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water to soften; stir to dissolve. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, oil, 6 cups of flour, and salt. Mix thoroughly until the dough forms up and leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out on floured board and knead, adding small amounts of flour as necessary. Bagel dough should be pretty stiff. Work in as much extra flour as you can comfortably knead. Knead until smooth and elastic, 12-15 minutes.
2.	Roll the dough into a ball, place it in a large oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover and let fully rise until an impression made with your finger remains and does not sink into the dough (about an hour).
3.	Punch down and cut into thirds, and roll each piece between your palms into a rope. Cut each rope into 4 equal pieces and shape into balls. Roll the first ball into another rope that is about 2" longer than the width of your hand. Make a ring with the dough, overlapping ends about 1/2" and sealing the ends by rolling with your palm on the board. If the dough resists rolling, dab on a drop of water with your finger. Evenly place the bagels on 2 nonstick baking pans or very lightly oiled baking sheets. Cover and let stand until puffy, about 20 minutes.
4.	While bagels are proofing, fill a 4 quart saucepan 2/3 full with cold water; add 1 tablespoon sugar and bring to a boil. When ready to cook, drop 2 or 3 bagels at a time into the boiling water and wait until they rise to the top. Cook for a total of 1 minute, turning once.
5.	Carefully lift each bagel out with a slotted spoon or skimmer. Drain momentarily. Turn into a dish with topping, if desired (it works best to sprinkle though). Evenly space bagels on 2 nonstick baking pans or very lightly oiled baking sheets. (bakes well on parchment paper too)
6.	Bake with steam in a preheated 500 degree F (260 degrees C) oven until well-browned, about 20 minutes. Turn bagels over when the tops begin to brown,  (to steam just put a pan of water on the bottom rack).

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Thai Coconut Chicken Soup Tom Kha Gai

I found this recipe on food network and adapted it a bit.  I halved it because I did not want leftovers.  The full recipe fed my family with just Maesyn Nate and I eating the soup and Jake the broth- and we had left overs.  

Ingredients
2 cups chicken stock,  

3 Tbs lemon grass paste
3 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or dried, hand torn
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small Thai chilies, halved lengthwise (I left these out for the kids sake)

1 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla) 

3/4 teaspoons sugar
1 (8-ounce) can straw mushrooms, rinsed (I did not use these because I did not have them and it was fine)

1 lime, juiced (more if you want it more citrus flavored
1 pint bottled chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Bring the stock to the boil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, chilies, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.

Uncover and stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms, lime juice, and chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat the chicken through; season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into a soup tureen or individual serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro. Be careful to avoid chewing the lemongrass, ginger, or lime leaves.

We like to serve this over jasmine rice and steamed broccoli and carrots.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/thai-coconut-chicken-soup-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

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Roasted Baby Carrots with Chili and citrus glaze

We got this recipe from epicurious and really liked it.  I just used 1.5 small bags of the baby carrots rather than real baby carrots.  I forgot to add the orange peel, but we really liked them just the same.  Leave out the chili so it is not too spicy.
Also, we needed to bake them a lot longer so they were not still crunchy.

• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 bunches baby carrots (about 32), trimmed, peeled
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk juice, 1 tablespoon oil, and vinegar in small bowl to blend; set aside.

Stir remaining 1 tablespoon oil, crushed red pepper, and salt in medium bowl. Add carrots and toss to coat. Scrape carrot mixture onto large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange carrots in single layer.

Roast carrots until almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes (depending on size). Add juice mixture and toss to blend. Roast until juices are reduced to glaze and coat carrots, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes longer. Season to taste with more salt, if desired. Transfer carrots to large bowl; add mint and orange peel and toss to blend. Transfer to serving bowl.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Baby-Carrots-with-Chile-Mint-and-Orange-Glaze-357513#ixzz2Lxuf6taV

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Naan

This recipe is really easy and really good.  I will never buy or make pita again and I don't have to buy flat bread anymore either.  This is good with falafel.

I am copying this recipe from my friend's blog.

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes. Combine yeast mixture, sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise about 1 hour, until doubled

Punch down dough and knead a few times. Pinch off handfuls of dough and roll into balls a little bigger than golf balls and place on a tray to rise. Cover again with a towel.
Pre heat griddle. Roll balls of dough out flat and cook a few minutes on each side. Mine rolled out to be about 8 inches in diameter and I left them a little thick cuz thats how I like them. You could do them thinner if you wanted.

http://mealicious.blogspot.com/2010/05/naan.html

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