Saturday Sauerkraut Tasting
Firefly Kitchens kraut varieties. (Photo credit: Craving4more.com).
Alright, time to backtrack a few days to my Saturday, which I said I’d recap about today. It was a fantastic day and started with a great workout at Recreate in the morning, part of which was outdoors in the sunny weather. Afterward, I picked up a few things at Food Front Co-op, then came home and made a late breakfast, which I ate outside on the patio. Perfection.
Then, I got cleaned up and went to the sauerkraut tasting at Whole Foods that my friend, Ashley was hosting. Ashley is the healthy foods specialist at the Whole Foods store in the Pearl District in Portland and also the blogger behind Craving4more. She writes beautiful and inspiring posts, and definitely has a way with words. Sometimes, she shares fabulous looking recipes too.
Ashley and her wonderful spread at Whole Foods. (Taken on iPhone)
The tasting incorporated a variety of raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut, many of which were from Firefly Kitchens. There was also different dishes to sample that included sauerkraut as an ingredient. I didn’t know there was going to be so much, and was still full from my late breakfast, but managed to sample a little bit. I sampled some Firefly kraut on its own (varieties included Yin Yang Carrots, Cortido, Caraway, and Ruby Red). They were all wonderful and so different, and they ferment for three months! I especially loved the Yin Yang Carrots, which is fermented carrots with ginger. Lucky for me, Ashley gave me a little bit to take home. The other flavors were delicious as well. I got to take home the remaining jar of Caraway too, as well as another brand of raw kraut that had beets, carrots and cabbage in it! Yum, yum.
Look at all that different kraut! (Taken on iPhone)
As for the recipes, I sampled the pecan pate, ruby red beet and kraut atop of mixed greens (I liked eating this with the pate), roasted butternut squash with an almond butter/kimchi sauce and secret brownies, which incorporated sauerkraut into the recipe. These were raw, of course, so the benefits of the sauerkraut were not lost. These were also surprisingly good and you really don’t notice the kraut. My favorite, by far, was the roasted squash. The sauce was just to die for and not only that, but I am a sucker for squash! There was also a smoothie that had kraut in it, but I didn’t taste it since it was made with store-bought almond milk. I only drink homemade almond milk because it doesn’t have things like guar gum, carrageenan, etc., which I need to stay away from. It got a lot of rave reviews from the other attendees though.
My plate with various kraut samples, pecan pate, ruby red beet and kraut atop of greens, butternut squash with almond butter/kimchi sauce, and a raw secret brownie. (Taken on iPhone)
Ashley has done a couple posts this week about the kraut tasting and recipes, so if you’re interested, please go check out her blog. Specifically, check out this post and this post, and also check back again tomorrow, because it looks like she is going to post more of the recipes.
Additionally, Ashley gave some great ideas for eating kraut. For example, use it on tacos, mix with tuna for a jazzed up tuna salad (egg salad too), roll up into a slice of deli meat, use atop of deviled eggs, mix in smoothies, add to salad, etc. The ideas are really endless, just don’t heat it, so as to not kill the live cultures.
Thanks, Ashley for putting on a great event!
St. Patrick’s Day Recap
My St. Patty’s Day meal.
Monday, already? It always comes so quickly, doesn’t it? Well, anyway, I hope you all had a lovely weekend and St. Patrick’s Day. Did you do or make anything special to celebrate? I made corned beef with carrots, onion and cabbage, which tasted delicious. I probably hadn’t eaten corned beef since I was between the ages of 12-15. I cheated a little and bought 2 lbs worth of fresh, local corned beef at Whole Foods. It was pre-brined and had spices rubbed all over it, and just needed to be cooked. I threw it in the Crock Pot with carrots, yellow onion, green cabbage and bone broth, and let it cook for about 4.5 hours. It was perfect and much better than the corned beef I recall eating as a kid. The beef was more brown than pink after cooking, because it didn’t contain any nitrates, but it did have beet powder in the brine, which allowed for a tiny bit of pink. I served it up for us in bowls, to allow for ladel-fuls of savory broth. Specifically, here’s what I did for the recipe:
Corned beef and cabbage
- 2 lb pre-brined fresh corned beef
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 6-8 medium carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces (I used orange and multicolored carrots)
- 1 head of cabbage, quartered
- 4 cups bone broth
- Place corned beef in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with carrots, onion and finally cabbage. Pour broth over everything, making sure the meat is covered by about 1-inch.
- Put lid on slow cooker and cook on high for about 4.5 hours.
- Slice meat against the grain to serve. Top with veggies and lots of broth. Watch out for loose peppercorns from the rub!
For a St. Patty’s Day treat, I whipped up the egg version of Against All Grain’s, cinnamon ‘oat’meal raisin cookies. Holy moly, these really do turn green too, especially as they sit and cool. The reaction of sunflower seed butter and baking soda causes the green to occur, in case you’re wondering. Mine turned just as green as Danielle’s (blogger of Against All Grain) did in her pictures! They almost look mossy and even look slightly blue, which may be in part from the raisins. Because of their mossy appearance, they’re definitely a Portland-appropriate cookie! We have a lot of moss here, because of rain and being in a valley.
Speaking of this recipe, I had to chuckle when I read some of the comments. One of the readers, who clearly doesn’t pay attention or read Against All Grain’s posts very often, asked how much oats are needed for the recipe because it wasn’t mentioned in the ingredients. I loved Danielle’s response, telling her that it is a grain-free site and there are no oats in the recipe! The unsweetened coconut is meant to emulate the oats. Some people are so oblivious, yet I find it entertaining…sometimes.
Danielle’s pictures were so pretty that I decided to borrow one. Mine wouldn’t do the cookies as much justice! (Photo credit: Againstallgrain.com)
So, that was my St. Patrick’s Day. The rest of my weekend included (kind of) studying for finals, working on a final project, working at the gym, laundry and errands.
Also, I’ll be recapping soon about the final verdict on my food log assignment. I was hoping to get the assignment back, so that I could have all the specific details my partner laid out for me, but we never got it back. My teacher may hand them back on Thursday, when I go to take the final exam, but I’m not sure. I may have to go off of memory! Lucky for me, I have a pretty good memory. Just ask my family.
Simple Supper Friday: Turkey Cabbage Stew with Multicolored Carrots
Turkey cabbage stew with roasted multicolored carrots.
Another week of school down (hooray!), and I must say, this week went by extremely fast. I’m okay with that too. As much as I’m trying to enjoy the process, I’m really ready for this term to be over. Being busy definitely helps the time fly by though. Full-time school, part-time fitness coaching, part-time freelance writing, blogging, treat making at the food cart, working on a project with Jason Seib, and life. I may even be taking on another project, which will be determined later today. I might be burning the candle at both ends a tad, but it’s awesome to be a busy little bee. I’m learning so much, especially about myself, and I feel ready for the next big thing.
Meanwhile, the sun is shining bright today and it’s a high of 60 degrees. I’ve already had a chance to enjoy the sunshine a little bit, but I’m hoping to get outside later for a walk. I have tons to do, but 60 and sunny is a great excuse to take a break.
Happy Friday all!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground turkey thighs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp fat of choice (I used grass-fed tallow)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2-4 Tbsp chicken broth
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
Directions:
- While your carrots are roasting (see instructions below), get started on the stew. In a large pan over medium heat, melt your fat of choice. Add the garlic and saute about 20-30 seconds, or until fragrant. Next, add the ground turkey and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Be sure to break up the ground meat a bit with a spatula.
- After several minutes, when the meat is nearly done browning, add the cabbage, cardamom, chili powder, broth and coconut milk. Mix well and continue to simmer over medium-low heat for several minutes. Adjust seasonings and liquid as needed.
- Once done, serve into bowls and top with roasted carrots.
For the roasted carrots:
- 1 bunch multicolored carrots (about 5-7 carrots), chopped into 1/2″ pieces
- 1 Tbsp fat of choice, melted (I used a combo of grass-fed tallow and ghee)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 375. On a baking sheet, toss carrots with fat of choice, and season with sea salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender and slightly browned.
- Serve atop of turkey and cabbage mixture.
Yields: 3-4 servings
Smoked Salmon Breakfast Hash
Smoked Salmon Hash
Remember how I said I’d work on posting more breakfast recipes last week? Well, I’m on it and have an incredibly easy and satisfying one for you today. This recipe is great not only for breakfast, but also for lunch or dinner. In fact, I made it for my lunch this past weekend. Feel free to swap out the cabbage for another vegetable, based on what you like and have on hand. Kale, spinach, chard or collards would also work well. For a little extra fat and nutrients, serve with sliced avocado too.
Another great thing about this recipe, is that you can make it ahead of time and reheat it later on. So, if you need breakfast to-go in the morning, make this the night before and grab it out of the fridge before you leave. It holds up just fine in the fridge, reheats well and is more exciting than an on-the-go breakfast of hard-boiled eggs and such.
Meanwhile, be sure to check back tomorrow for a tasty, decadent treat recipe. Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday after all! I’ve got to follow suit. No, it’s not a king cake either. It’s much simpler than that, and it’s not cake period.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- 1 3-4 oz smoked wild salmon fillet, shredded (I like Loki Fish Co. smoked salmon, which is uses honey in the smoking process vs. brown sugar)
- 1/4 head cabbage, chopped
- 2 pastured eggs, beaten
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 Tbsp chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp full-fat coconut milk
- Black lava finishing salt for garnish, optional
Directions:
- Melt butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the cabbage and season with sea salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth and saute a few minutes, until softened.
- Next, add the eggs, smoked salmon and coconut milk. Add more sea salt and pepper, if desired. Mix together with a spatula and continue to cook over medium-low heat until eggs are cooked through.
- Garnish with black lava salt, if using.
Yields: 1 serving
Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder
Shredded pork shoulder, served atop of sauteed cabbage.
Some of you already know this by now, but I don’t care for pork. I’m just not fond of the taste, unless it’s bacon. You may recall though, that on New Year’s Eve, I ordered a shredded pork dish for dinner. I mainly ordered it because it was the least complicated thing for me to paleoize, but also thought I might like it since I love shredded meat, specifically chicken and beef. Well, I did like it … a lot! Since then, I’ve been thinking about trying out a shredded pork recipe myself. This past weekend, it finally happened.
It was a spur of the moment decision and completely unplanned. I really value moments like that. Anyway, I was in Food Front Co-op in NW Portland after work on Sunday, and spotted one small and lonely pork shoulder roast. At that moment, I decided it was time, and threw it in my basket. For the recipe, I flew by the seat of my pants and used what I had on hand.
The recipe turned out phenomenal. It tasted so good, that I didn’t want the last bite to come. To compensate, I very slowly savored every last morsel. I usually do well with eating slowly, but I especially did well this time.
If you’re not much of a pork person, like me, this recipe may surprise you. I can’t wait to make it again.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb pork shoulder roast
- 2 tsp grass-fed ghee
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 4 large carrots, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 head cabbage, chopped (use more if serving more than 2 people)
- Avocado slices, optional
Directions:
- Combine spices, sea salt and pepper, and coat all sides of the roast. If you have extra spice mixture leftover, set it aside. You will use it later. If you use it all, that’s fine too.
- Melt 1 tsp of ghee (or fat of choice) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork shoulder, and brown a couple minutes on each side. Once all sides are browned, remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tsp of ghee (add more if needed) over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes, until softened. Once done, pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
- Add carrots to the slow cooker and place the roast on top of the veggies. Add the chicken broth, lime juice and any remaining spice mixture.
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 8-10.
- Once done, turn the slow cooker off or to warm. Then, remove the pork roast and cut off the twine. Shred meat with two forks and add back to the slow cooker. Give everything a stir.
- In a pan over medium heat, melt a little fat of choice. Add the chopped cabbage and season with sea salt and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes, or until softened.
- Serve the shredded pork mixture over the cabbage and serve with avocado slices, if desired.
Yields: 3-4 servings
